Jamie rushed along the carpet, snatched up the ball with her sharp yet tiny teeth, and then trotted back to her mistress. She dropped, then sat back onto her haunches, and panted.
'I feel so stupid,' Jamie thought, panting. Yet, despite how stupid she felt, Jamie had to admit it was fun. It was fun watching mistress throw the ball. It was fun chasing the ball. It was even fun dropping it at her feet and waiting with excitement as mistress picked it up. It was fun enough for Jamie to forget that she had been a male human that morning.
"Okay, little puppy, let's go for a walk!"
Jamie paused. She was torn between wanting to play fetch and wanting to run and hide. She didn't want to go outside. Outside . . . Jamie shivered her dog body. What if there were male dogs out there? She whimpered but mistress ignored her and slipped the lead around Jamie's neck. She tugged and Jamie was ushered outside.
"Arrummm," Jamie said, sniffing the air. The smells and sounds of the outside were too much for the beagle. She grunted and whimpered.
Mistress seemed to sense this and simply began to pet Jamie's neck and back, soothingly. Jamie's new dog brain began to process the many sensations that assaulted it. She soon rose back up, her focus sharpening.
"Good girl, good puppy!" mistress cooed.
She and Jamie left the front yard and walked onto the sidewalk. Jamie drank into the smells - they were so rich and vibrant. Now that she could process them, the pup-girl could enjoy them! She listened too - hearing bugs and animals and all sorts of noises previous impossible to hear with her human ears.
"Elspeth, got yourself a new pup, I see!" said an older man who smelled like mint, strawberry jam, and butter peacans. With a hint of hamburger.
"Beldan, I did. Just today, in fact."
Beldan chuckled. "Another female?"
"Well, she is now!"
Both mistress and Beldan roared in laughter. Jamie barked at the sudden noise.
"Going to breed this one too, are ya?" Beldan asked.
Mistress smiled. "We'll see . . . won't we, Jamie?"
She rustled the top of Jamie's head. She whimpered.