Steve told me about this cool shop where the owner guaranteed winners to his bookmaking customers. I've got a weakness for gambling. Anyway, I go in and ask about his tout sheet. He gives me a song and dance about online betting, but when I put cash on the counter he comes through. Or so I think. The joker places my $5 bet, plus another $1000 of his own on an animal that is a late edition to the race.
I hope he knows what he's doing. He guarantees that I'll be a winner. Now he's talking gibberish, maybe it's a foreign language? And he starts waving this stick at me, I think he's off his gourd. I want to back up, but I can't move.
It was like something out of the Wizard of Oz movie. The room seemed to lurch upward and away from me, and all the technicolor drained from the room. I was staring up at bookmaker, and he was all monochrome. He said something about my new name being "College Try" and pulled my now gray t-shirt off me. I stare in shock at my hands, they're now paws. I look behind me I've got the body of a dog complete with tail, I test it, the tail wags. Shit I really am a grey hound. Sweet I know I'm going to be the first one across the finish line today.
The room swirls and fades and the fairgrounds materialize around me, but something is wrong. I feel my tail and legs shrinking and it suddenly goes dark. I'm in a cramped closed space. I cannot move, nor can I speak. Suddenly, there is daylight, I feel a surge of power course through me. I ride the rail, the dogs are in close pursuit, but they don't catch me. I'm too fast. I cross the finish line and enter another box. I've won. I win six more races, I like winning.
It's two days later, I see the bookmaker open my box, he's holding a dowsing stick.
"Well, I'll be damned. As the mechanical rabbit, of course you always cross the finish line first! I should have specified dog or greyhound. Now I'm down a thousand dollars, and two days spent on this locator spell. Searched every inch of space and time between my shop and the fairgrounds. Thought another wizard pulled a fast one, especially with the names of the dogs that won." He is shaking his head.
"It's against policy to do take backs, but I think you need to win me back more than $1000 for the trouble you've caused me Mr. Bunnyman!" He looks around to make sure no one is looking, and pulls out that magic wand thingy again. Suddenly, I leap out of the box. My fur is being absorbed and I'm growing, the world around me bleeds color. I am restored. I'm naked, I cover myself with my hands. The bookmaker flips through a racing sheet. I start to back away.
"Don't even think about running out on me boy." He turns the page and continues studying the odds and races.
"I wasn't. I'm just cold, I was looking for something to cover up with."
"Won't mind being naked, after I find your new form. Quarter horse, Arabian, just need to decide on the race and track, then I'll optimize you. Something with a big stake....Hmmmm."