I know what I want. None of the options seem that great to start with but some are just more awful than others. I want to stay human and working for that witch, whatever it might entail, appears the least worse. I don't want to continue being a frog. Sure, the sex is nice but that's just because you are horny all the time. I am the pond slut and the other transformed humans are not any nicer to me because of that. Quite the contrary! They all exude scorn towards me and knowing the spell makes me crazy for sex, they love making fun of me and hurling machist comments, while knowing I was a male before. Of course, their scorn does not stop them any from humping me as often as they can. I am a slave to my frog libido. A female frog libido, at that! Moreover, with all that sperm being dumped into, I'll get pregnant sooner than later. Will I feel love towards countless tadpoles? Should I? How will I deal with having such offspring? And that's the living part. The death part, meaning getting caught by a predator, is no more enviable. It's just horrible, between snakes, herons, storks and other beasts with beaks and teeth. I am at the bottom of the food chain and I prefer changing that, no matter what might happen.
"Being a female frog is awful. Even a male frog would be just as bad. I prefer working for you. What does it entail?"
"Oh, nothing much," says the witch. "Just cleaning, doing errands for me, some chores, for a while, until I free you of your services. Then you can go on your way."
That sounds much better than living in a pond being chased and humped by frogs of the other sex. I accept.
"All right! Your choice!" exclaims the witch.
She changes the other human back into a frog, who hops back into the muddy waters, none the wiser and happy to return to his home of decomposing logs and slime. She then waves her hand and I'm teleported back to her house, which I'm of course forbidden to leave unless with her explicit permission.
Over time, I get used to the chores to perform for the witch. It's not that bad. I am well-fed and my tasks consist in cleaning, doing the groceries, retrieving take-out, cooking and other simple jobs, if not the most interesting. At least the food is better than insects and it beats being the slimy whore of the pond. It's a lot more dignified and I stay human all the time. The witch does her magic or her spells on her own or leaves for long stretches of time during the day. I can watch television when she is gone and all my work done. Moreover, her workshop is always under lock and key. So life goes on for me.
And after a few months, she arrives with a beaming smile while I'm peeling vegetables. She tells me she has good news to tell me once I'm done with my chopping of vegetables. What can it be? I hurry and then go join her in the living-room.
"Your time of service is over," she says with a smile. "You are free to go."
"Really?" I say, elated.
"Yes, really."
I get up to finally leave this place but an invisible force pushes me into an armchair. Ropes appearing out of nowhere and bind me tightly. What is going on? I growl in anger but the witch answers my questions.
"I said you are free to go. Free to go with someone else. I've sold you. Your service with me is over. But I never said I could not sell you or express the terms of you leaving me. You are going away, yes, but as someone being sold and with someone else. That counts as leaving me so I'm respecting the terms laid out."
I can't believe it! I struggle against the ropes and demand to know who is coming. Annoyingly, the witch bursts into tinkling peals of laughter.
"You'll see! As usual I don’t want to spoil the surprise! But you'll love it, I promise! I made sure of that when auctioning you."
I want to shout out your rage but just then a knock arrives at the door. The witch saunters to open it to her guest, in effect my new owner, leaving me with a pit of terrible fear in my stomach. What did she do? What has she planned for me?