Jake and Dean look at the approaching flashlights. “Let’s get out of here,” Jake yells and the two start running. As they run, lights come on all around them, they can’t seem to stay in the cover of darkness. They turn a corner and see Garrett being held on the ground by a couple of guards.
“There’s two more,” one guard yells, as two others come from down an alley. Jake and Dean both turn, but their escape is already thwarted by several other guards from behind. Jake and Dean put their hands up to surrender as one guard comes up to each of them and holds their arms behind their backs tightly.
“Hey, take it easy, okay? We just wanted to check the place out,” Dean groans. “Boys, boys, boys,” a voice comes from behind them. They are forcibly turned around only to see the Man in Red standing in front of them. Garrett is brought up along side of them as the Man paces back and forth. “Well, since you snuck out, you missed out on all the excitement back at the bunkhouse.”
The guards force the boys to walk as the Man in Red leads them back to the bunkhouse. The alarms go silent and the lights shut off one by one as they approach the structure. Inside, the sound of moans, sobs, and screams are heard. “What’s happening to them in there?” Dean yells, trying to get loose. “Oh, they’re just getting prepared for tomorrow,” the Man says chuckling.
The boys are lead to the front door and pushed inside one at a time. Jake hits the ground, but Dean and Garrett keep their balance and gasp in horror. The boys in the bunkhouse had gone through some kind of awful change, the all almost looked like donkeys. They had pointed ears covered in brown fur, but they were only as tall as their heads. The boys’ nose and lips were dark brown and leathery. As they cried out, Dean and Garrett could see that their teeth were also changed. Light fur covered parts of their bodies, and a thick mane down their necks. Their hands were dark brown with thick finger nails and fur up their arms. Each of them had a short tail with a tassel at the end and their feet were furry and capped with a thick brown mass of swollen toes.
Jake groans on the ground and Dean looks down at him, “no, Jake, not you too.” Jake looks up, his nose already darkening and his ears growing longer. Garrett is next with a tail pushing out of his pants and fur creeping up his arms. Dean then groans and feels his toes ache and his jaw push out slightly. Garrett and Dean join Jake on the floor as they match the changes of the other boys.
Dean and Jake look at each other and then inspect their bodies. Garrett cries, “no, this isn’t real. I want my mommy, please, take me home to my mommy.” Then, a loud whip cracks! The Man in Red looks around at the “boys” as they look at him with fear. “Well, you all look like you’re ready to start working.”
Garrett crawls to the Man and pleads with him, “please, I don’t want to be a donkey, I want to be a boy, please.” The Man just pushes him to the ground. “Listen up, donkeys. That’s what you are as of this moment. You are no longer boys. You are a bunch of braying asses and you’re going to work.” The Man walks through the bunkhouse looking at them all one at a time. “From now on, you will not speak, you will bray,” the Man stops at one of the more timid boys, “what’s your name?” The boy looks up at him and stutters, “W..William.”
The Man in Red looks at him angrily, “what was that donkey? Did you speak? I asked you what your name is.” William looks up at him, now with tears in his eyes, “hh…hhheee hawww.” The Man smiles, “very good,” he points at another boy, “what’s your name?” The boy is quick to answer, “heee hawww.” The Man does this to several other boys, who all bray in response. “Good, now the next thing, donkeys don’t wear clothes, so take off your human clothes, now.” The boys again breakdown in to tears as they start to remove their clothes. Jake, however does not.
“You, donkey, off with your clothes now,” the Man in Red yells. Dean has already taken off his shirt and nudges Jake. Jake just shakes his head, “No.” Two guards grab Jake, and he struggles, “let me go.” The Man in Red comes up to him and leers at him, “take him away.” Dean yells and leaps for Jake, but a guard knocks him to the ground.
“As for the rest of you, I’d get a good night sleep, you’ve got a very long next few days,” The Man in Red laughs and exits the bunkhouse. The boys all stand their as guards collect their clothes and then leave. Everyone is quick to try and conceal themselves from each other in their beds as the lights go out. Dean walks over to his bed in the dark and listens to the sounds of boys crying. He knew he wouldn’t get any sleep and dreaded the morning.