Dan and Kyle both stood there blinking at Katie for a moment.
"Dogs. Really. Monica cast a spell to turn us both into dogs," Dan repeated in obvious disbelief.
Katie continued. "Yeah. You guys can help us heard the sheep and I agreed to take care of you as my dogs for the farm. I think you're gonna be border collies. And one of you is gonna be female so you can give us puppies to sell from time to time. It's the end of me being Kyle's girlfriend, I guess, but at least none of us will have to separate. Like she said, sacrifices."
Dan had gone from tears of sadness to tears of rage. "Great. Now I'm being mocked now. Look, I know I'm not the manliest guy and I don't have the most skills to contribute to a farm like, like this, but this is horrible for me. I'm going to another country! I might never see any of you in person again! I'm going to be gone for five years at least! And I'm sick to my stomach because I know I have to do this for a living. And all you and Monica have to say is some sucky joke about you breaking up with Kyle so him and me can fuck as dogs on your parents' farm? I thought we were friends! I guess I was wrong. Maybe it's for the best that I'm leaving."
"It's true Dan! I promise, it's true, you saw the lights, you saw her magic, she vanished--" Monica pleaded, only to be interrupted.
"That's the worst part! I can't believe that bitch set up a fucking illusionist trick, complete with a damned vanishing act, just to spite me on the way off! And you're all in on it! I really meant it, you know. I'd give up anything to stay here. Or at least I would have. I trusted all of you. For real. But I guess I don't have any friends to call from Italy after all. Goodbye."
Katie was crying now, too. She'd known the boys wouldn't believe her. Kyle gently walked up, softly spoke Dan's name, and put a hand around his forearm. "Don't touch me," Dan insisted. Both Kyle and Katie watched with longing eyes as Dan marched to his car, not even looking back at them.
But just as he was about to grab the door handle, Dan hunched over and groaned, gritting his teeth and then yelling. Kyle and Katie ran over towards him, but neither of them knew what could be done for him. Katie thought maybe it was the spell taking effect, but she also thought maybe he was hurt or having a mental breakdown. Kyle secretly blamed Monica for whatever was happening to Dan, even if she wasn't really a witch, but he kept his mouth shut about that. The closer they got, the more they could hear squishing and gurgling sounds coming from inside Dan, and they arrived just in time to hear him yell out in pain. The first of many sacrifices had begun.