The needs of her male Mule self done her thoughts turned back to filling that large belly once again. As the green grass disappeared along the fenced pasture she barely lifted her head at the approach of a man.
Lindy's Father was not deaf, dumb, or blind as he exited the house one look down the driveway offered a grown Mule grazing. "A gift is a gift!" he'd always say. Lindy got tired of hearing it and many a time grumbled about the saying.
Lindy's grazing barely broke stride as the halter was slipped over her muzzel and up the big head. "A gift is a gift!" said the man as Lindy whirled around her head as screamed a ragged mule's bray.
The quick movement and loud response made the man back away. Lindy herself, was startled by the rugged noise which emitted from her throat.
All was quiet for a moment as man and Mule stood letting that last sound echo out into the trees beyond the pasture.
A tug of the rein made his new Mule walk along quietly. Lindy's father watched the mule as it's leg movements showed a sort of grace in their moves. As he tried to jog a fast walk the Mule picked up pace and almost danced along as if overjoyed at the new feeling.
Lindy was rapidly accepting the change as she found herself pushed into a stall in the barn. She watched with interest as her Daddy went about examining the Mule's hoofs, legs, joints, tendons, mouth, teeth, ears, and as he stroked a hand down the broad strong back he lifted the tail.
This made the Mule jump as if startled by the touching. "Easy big boy, easy!" said Lindy's Father in a calming sort of manner. Yet at that point Lindy was not calm when her new sheath was being examined and pulled about. A firm hand worked behind the sheath and pursed between the thighs moving up the crotch looking for sores and boils.
The exam done Lindy's Father stood to one side and began to eye the remarkable markings like his long gone Mule Larrs. A chuckle remembering the many ribbons won at the pulling contests during county fair times. Another chuckle as he remembered Lindy calling the mules as Rigger and Mortis when he finally sold them to a dairy farmer for pulling his spreader.
Now he had one fine gifted Mule and was pleased with what he saw. Suddenly his head whirled around as the bellar of cow turned his attention. Lindy too turned her head around to look as her rein held in check the partial movement of her head.
Lind's Father walked to the rear barn door and gawked at the new bull calf sucking his Mama's teat. "My this farm is full of surprise gifts today!" exclaimed the man.
"HENRY!" yelled Lindy's Mother from the back porch of the house.
"Yes dear, you won't believe what I found......!" started Henry.
"I just heard the Police are looking for Lind's friend Jake, he disappeared yesterday and never came home last night. The radio news said to keep your kids close at hand till the strange situation can be figured out, where's Lindy I haven't seen her for hours?" asked the Misses.
Henry looked about seeing Lindy's bike parked near the house. A quick look into the barn proved very troubling as a pile of her clothes were tossed in a heap. Henry began to rampage the barn calling for Lindy.
At the sound of her name the Mule brayed loud.
Henry looked at the Mule and cussed under his breath as he began to search the lower cellar of the barn. At last all was searched and no Lindy could be found. A tired and worried man walked across the barn as he saw twinkling in the midday sun the Medallion.
Reaching down he picked it up. The Mule began to raise quite the fuss as Lindy wanted in her new way to warn Daddy of what powers the Medallion could wheel.
Walking from the barn, his mind on what he'd found and not found Henry went to the house to call the Police.
Lindy stomped her hoofs and struggled to rip off the halter and rein. She was scared to death of what might happen of Dad if he made a wish and then who know's what he might become? The mule' body was very strong and after several tries the chain link parted and with halter still tight on her head she was free to run.
As Henry talked to the Police on the phone he watched his new girt mule gallop down the drive and jump the fenceline by the road light a prize jumper horse might. Lindy's Mother sobbing to one side for her little girl could never imagine she'd just galloped down the drive.
Once over the fence Lindy took off on a run. The feeling of fleeing the problem behind her seemed so very right somehow. She marvelled her speed and how far she could travel without feeling winded or tired. As she jumped Alen's Brook and landing the opposite side she skidded to a halt.
Huffing and snorting she quickly caught her breath and reasoning kicked in. She'd run from home, run like a scared horse away from what had scared her so! The instincts of this animal form were taking hold and now she worried of how long her own memory would last. The thought of losing all memories and being like Jake was brought on a shuddering shiver of fear.
Again the instictive drives kicked in and she bolted into a wild gallop across the dairy pasture. As cows jumped out of her way she ran like the fleet footed mule she was. A jump of another fence and then a short run till she jumped one more brought her huffing to a stop.
Looking around she'd run her new self into the holding area of the Belco Slaughter Yard. Even as she turned to jump the fence again a yell from one of the animal handlers turned her head at just the wrong moment. ZAP! Lindy crumpled down to the ground stunned by the electric fence she'd bumped with her foreleg.
As the young girl and male mule awoke she found herself surrounded my three men. As she scrambled to her feet again the one held a tight hold on a rein attached to her halter. As she looked to her left another man had a lasso over her head and was holding the rope with both hands as they talked.
"Lynn I saw the mule jump the four rail fence with ease!" said one man.
"Mules don't jump like horses!" said the man in a white stetsen.
Lindy turned her head to look and hear each man as they talked about her.
"The mule seems to be very aware what is being said, she him turn to look at which one of us is talking!" said the man stand several feet to one side.
As the two men lead Lindy along she obeyed and followed along willingly.
"He's a calm one, might use him as a mount around the bulls and cows what do you think Jeff?" asked the man in the hat.
As Lynn noted the mule was not shod yet he suggested they put Lindy in the stable till the next day and call the Farrier to shoe the mule.
Lindy had not thought about being shod with iron shoes as horses and mules might. The life of her mule self was easy on one hand and made her terrified on the other.
Lindy stood smelling the fear scents given off by animals walking to their death. The instincts ran wild as she felt true animal horror from the scents. It was getting tough to have a clear human thought. Even more Lindy was beginning to think in basic desires as the mule brain took a final grasp on what human brain cells still remained.
Night brought the shutdown of the slaughter as dozen's of men headed for their vehicles and a drive home. Lindy began to think about being home, a warm dinner, her loving parents, and a clean and dry bed.
Feeling very uneasy about something Lindy was still standing and quite awake when the pains began.