It had been a while since Cheryl had seen any new customers. Truth be told, the bar was somewhat out of the way. Of course, all the locals frequented it, but then again all the locals had long since embraced their equine nature.
It was almost 5 and the usual patrons were there. Cheryl looked them over while cleaning glasses. There was Ted Jacobs at the bar, downing another beer by himself. A rough, sturdy middle-aged man with a broad barrel chest and a wild brown beard, he was gruff but a devoted friend to those near to him. And every now and then he transformed into a brown standardbred horse. Cheryl had gone for a run with him last time he changed.
Isabel Horton was sitting primly at a table, drinking tea. The schoolmistress never indulged in alcohol, and Cheryl obliged - oat tea was in plentiful supply, after all. Isabel's black hair was in a tight bun, her glasses pushed up on her face, her full-length dress as modest as possible. Yet Cheryl knew that Isabel could let loose when she wanted to. When Isabel transformed into a Newfoundland pony, she was as sprightly and hyperactive as could be, and had a weakness for sugar cubes.
In a booth were the farmers Curtis and Genevieve Barron. Curtis was tall and lanky, with a face dusted in freckles and a mop of shaggy auburn hair. His wife was short and plump, with curly blonde hair framing her round, cheerful face. While Curtis enjoyed being an Appaloosa, it was a bit embarrassing for him to find out that Genevieve's equine form was a Clydesdale. Only Cheryl and Curtis knew that it was Genevieve who did most of the work on the farm - and she was treated like a queen when they were human.
And then the impossible happened. Someone new walked in.
"Afternoon!" said Cheryl with a smile. "Why the long face?"
It was a traditional joke. She had to say it. And yet the newcomer did indeed look depressed. A slim young woman with brown eyes and long reddish hair, she had several piercings in her nose, lips, and ears. She was wearing a sweat-drenched tanktop and jeans. What Cheryl took for eccentric makeup at first turned out to be a layer of dust and grime.
"I've had a long day", said the woman, slumping into a bar chair.
"Any way I can help?"
"Car broke down like... ten miles from here. This is the first sign of life I've seen. You wouldn't happen to know a mechanic?" She glanced at her phone. "No signal either..."
"We'll have you fixed in no time", said Cheryl, patting the woman's shoulder reassuringly. "I can't say we have a station nearby, but I can give you the next best thing... Ted?"
"Huh?" The older man looked up.
"This nice lady has had her car break down, think you can help her?"
"Sure", he said, downing another swig of his beer.
"Just! Uh..." The woman said wearily. "I need something to drink. And... maybe a place to spend the night. I'm tired".
"Of course dear". Cheryl smiled. "What will you have?"
"Anything. Don't care".
Cheryl filled a stein up with her signature homemade beer and handed it to the woman. "There you go".
"How much?"
"For you? It's on the house".
The woman blinked. "O-oh. Thank you". She took a big gulp of the beer and visibly struggled to hide her reaction. "That's... interesting..."
"Isn't it refreshing? A special oat and hay blend. Make it myself".
"I see..." The woman seemed torn between setting the beer aside or being polite and finishing it.
"What's your name, by the way?"
"Riley", she said, in between quick sips. "I'm a grad student... was supposed to be at a conference but looks like that's not happening anytime soon..."
Cheryl nodded sympathetically.
"My car breaks down, I get stuck out here in the middle of nowhere - no offense - and my advisor is going to be so mad..." She was becoming more talkative as the beer had its effect, refreshing and comforting her. "Not to mention I was supposed to be going with my partner but they bailed last second... not like we'd been doing so well recently anyway..."
"I understand. Why don't you get some rest and we can look at your car tomorrow?"
Riley finished the last of the beer. All things considered, it did taste good after you got used to it. "Thanks, you're the best", she mumbled. "I... uh... left my bag in the car..."
"That's okay, nobody's going to steal it. Let me show you to your room".
Cheryl led Riley upstairs as the other patrons of the bar smiled and waved encouragingly at her.
Little did she know that, like everyone else in the town, she had gained the ability to transform into a horse. And like everyone else in town, the horse she would become was the one that most closely matched her personality or appearance - or both. Riley didn't suspect that deep down, she was a(n)...