Ryan, Johnny, Mike, and Sei stood gawking at each other as the realism of the fact they were now all horses. Ryan, a full grown well muscled Belgian Draft stood tall above his firends.
Johnny, Mike, and Sei stood looking around and offering soft whinnies as they tried to speak the rational question pursing their minds. Little did they yet realise that not only had they lost human form but also lost their maleness.
Ryan knowing the curse was feeling sorry for his brother and two best friends. As the nickering went on Ryan notice the approach of a kid from school days.
Living just a half mile down the road Norm Jepkema was the son of a corn farmer. His father had one of the largest farms in the county. Norm walked close and checked each horse for it's sex. Ryan backed away not wishing to damn another person to a beastial life.
Yet Norman approached and stroked Ryan's strong neck.
Nothing happened, Ryan thought about this, why did this boy not change as did his friends? Then it struck him that only his friends who touched him would change, and then only for his first day back. Norman was a grade above Ryan, Mike and Sei and he was only known to Ryan by sight and not a friend at all!
Norman walked around the rear of the mansion were a still working fountain offered water to the small heard of Belgian horses. Knowing the property well on the outside from years of cutting the grass for Sam Hill who built the place. Norm went to the maintenance shack and cut four lenths of rope.
Having learned his ropes well he quickly tied them into halters with a short rein to lead them home. The big horse seemed to calm the others as Norm slipped on their halters. A strange sight for sure as the six foot six tall youth walked down the dusty road with a sixteen hand high massive Belgian stallion and three yearling mares.
Norm was not sure but in the past he'd heard screaming and strange animal sounds coming from the basement of the old mansion. In his mind he hoped to get the guts to enter it someday and see what the reason might be for all he had heard.
Jason Jepkema, Norm's father was surprised to see what his son walked home with. The old farmer checked the stallion and then the mares.
"A fine catch son, where did you find them?" asked Mister Jepkema.
Norman told him of his find on the front lawn of the mansion. As he told the story of his find a deep scowel came across his father's face.
"If I told you once I've told you a dozen time that place is dangerous! You know there has been other animals found on the property over the years. Remember just a year or so ago the mountain lion the Sheriff had to shoot that was roaming about the place. I look at these fine specimens of pure bred Belgian horse flesh and tell you now that there isn't a Belgian breeder farm within a hundred miles!" said Mister Jepkema.
"Finder's keepers is what Mom always says and I found them and we have room to keep them," spouted Norman.
"OK son we will keep them but by this time next year I want that stud to mate with those mares. Then by the second year we could have a Belgian stud started here and earn good money from these animals."
The conversation was well understood by Norman but also by the four horses that still had their human mental abilities. Suddenly all four horses started to snuffle and back away from where Norman stood holding the reins.
"Figure's!" said Mister Jepkema, "Figure's our plans for breeding these animals as the animals they are is somehow disturbing to them! I bet you a million dollars they were human before they stood on the front lawn of that damn mansion!"
Norman pulled each horse to the waiting stall and roped them tight so as not to kick their way out of the barn. Ryan seemed the least nervous about his surroundings and Norman stood looking at the massive beast.
"OK big boy if my Dad is right you were a human before being a horse. I want to test that right now! If you were human once shake your left hind leg twice," ordered Norman.
In the background stood Norman's father and he too was interested in the question.
Ryan looked back at Norman and lifted his left hind leg for one and then two shakes.
"Wow, are all these horses once human too, ahh two shakes of your right front legs, please," asked Norman.
Ryan whinnied a little and lifting his right front leg shook it twice.
"I told you they were human once," said Norman's father as he walked into the light.
"How Dad, how could a person be changed from human to a horse and remain alive let along keep human thoughts," asked Norman now very rattled.
"I don't know, and maybe I never want to know! Their horses now and he is the prime stud. I'll have no more talk about what we just learned. Come next spring the three mares get mated and we start a breeding farm. There animals now and nobody I've ever known could change them back to what they were," stated Mister Jepkema.
Norman did as he was told and put a quarter bale of hay for the stallion's enjoyment and smaller rations of grain and hay for the mares. Walking toward the barn door Ryan stood in his stall and shaking his head up and down whinnied a thank you.