There was an awkward silence.
Zack didn't now how to react. He could offer no consolation and felt uncomfortable about changing the subject.
Willis was lost in his despair.
His brother may well have been dead. He could see no way out. He was trapped. The farmer was clever and wouldn't let them go easily. If-
Willis hesitated in his thoughts.
Farmer O'Grady was a man. Just one man. Willis and Zack were both powerful minotaurs. The farmer was outnumbered and outgunned.
"We could use the spell," Willis suggested.
Again, silence.
"Zack?"
"I don't know. I'm having second thoughts about that spell"
"Why?"
"Well, from what i've heard it's caused a lot of trouble. Do you fully know the risks?"
Willis had no idea of the trouble the spell had got his brother into.
"No, but it's also done a lot of good. It proved my brother was alive, no, tell a lie, it suggested it..."
Zack shifted.
"But it made us this way, which is pretty cool, right?"
"Cool, but is it right? I mean, what if it was the reason your brother vanished?"
Silence, for a third time.
"I'd rather take the risk," Willis said slowly, "that do nothing at all"
Zack sighed.
"What do you even have in mind?"
"Growth"
"Growth?"
"We become to large for the truck and batter it to pieces"
"It sounds dangerous, we could suffocate"
"If we can't breathe, i'll stop"
"...ok"
They sat there for a few moments. Finally, Willis began.
Zack felt the metal floor move beneath him. His hooves tapped against the opposite wall.
As he grew, the two walls began push him. His knees raised into his stomach.
Zack braced himself.
Willis stood and pushed against one of the walls with his right shoulder. But then his left shoulder hit the ceiling and his hooves hit the other wall, so he just began to push in all directions.
The walls groaned.
Following Willis' example, Zack stood, hunched due to the lack of room, and tried to abolish the walls.
The amount of space was reducing.
The two beasts touched gently as they were forced together. Their eyes met. Willis stopped the growth.
Zack smiled.
"I've only known you a few hours, but I trust you"
Willis returned the smile, and resumed the spell.
The ceiling collided with Zacks head. Zack hunched.
"Don't," Willis said, "Take up as much space as you can"
Zack arched his neck against the ceiling. He raised his arms and pushed against both walls in a star shaped position.
The walls shifted.
"It's working!"
One wall bent leaving a gap between the wall and ceiling. Zack and Willis pushed all their energy against it.
It slowly moved.
BANG!
Farmer O'Grady had a gun. Surely they were just tranquilizers?
No, it was too loud. He was prepared to kill them. Their dead bodies would be worth less, but still a lot.
"Keep going," Zack said.
Their hands touched, and they held each other.
A loud groan tore up the ceiling.
"JUMP!"
They leaped through the gap and, with their much larger muscles, soared over the snow covered trees.
Another shot from the farmer, but that was way back at the truck now.
They landed near a great lake, lightly frozen.
"We did it!"
They embraced. Willis released the spell and they slowly shrunk back to their original intimidating size.
"We best keep our bull hide," Willis decided, "minotaurs fair better in cold weather"
Zack nodded and looked around them.
"Which way?"