Josh thought for a moment he would win, but nearing the finish line he forgot to keep his mind on running. Letting in some other concerns to distract his line of thought, he became entangled with his fore legs, tripping, and falling chin down into the dry, soft sand there on the beach.
Stunned for a moment, his falling down reminded him of what he thought and had hoped back at the lighthouse was but a dream. Josh decided his changes were just some fantasy, but upon falling and how he had to get back up and stand on all fours, the reality of it all sunk home.
Up until then this was all as if some wild game, but when he realized his actual physical bodily form had changed, finding he was more like an animal, everything he had planned in his future came crashing down in his mind.
Regaining his stance on all fours, Josh stood for a moment and then gave a head, neck, and body shake. This removed much of the sand that covered his then fur covered skin. His desire to cry out in sudden horror for what he felt and realized was truth turned into a ragged coarse sounding cry of a braying Jackass.
The braying scared him, he knew the huckster would have information where he might go, or where they sold an antidote for what happened; this hope surged him on to race with one idea stuck then in his degrading mind.
Meanwhile further up the seashore Jesse ran with all the gusto he could muster from his body. He did not stop at the lighthouse, but continued to run as hard and fast as he could with one hope, to win!
Unlike what happened to Josh, Jesse running the Dog beach became infected differently. His donkey sized sheath and shaft decreased in size but turned dense in its muscular makeup. He felt his body becoming lean and exceptionally muscular; this delighting him and instilling only the bestial joy to blank out any and all concerns for how his body did change.
He too neared the finish line, charging along with all his gather strength, Jesse ran unaware his body and future would make of him an excellent guard dog. He knew in his thoughts that he was long, lean, and made of taunt muscle, proper for one made as a Mastiff - Great Dane mixed breed. He ran with his tongue lolling out one side of his mouth, breathing hard, his heart pumping like thunder in his chest.
Jesse and Josh saw the other coming closer to the finish line, each suddenly fearful for their friend.
The meeting was of two great friends that seeing the other and then notating their own bodily changes, looked to the huckster, he stood smiling at them with a evil grin.