The crowd had fallen silent as Madame Illusia scanned the audience. A few people whispered to themselves, asking one another how she had done it.
"Do I have another volunteer?" she asked the crowd. No one volunteered and they all looked around at one another to see if someone else would. "If no one volunteers, I shall pick someone..."
She spotted a young man in the front row, not more than thirty years of age. He seemed nervous, scared and looked away from her. She walked over to him. He wore a white t-shirt, jeans and wire rimmed glasses. He was overweight too.
"You, young man there, in the white shirt. What's your name."
The young man looked up at her. "Na...Nate."
"Lovely name. Tell me Nate, do you enjoy seeing people being transformed?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"Does it turn you on?" she asked.
Nate blushed a little. "Yeah, it does."
"But you didn't think it could really happen and seeing it was real scared you a little, didn't it?" she asked.
"Yeah," replied Nate.
"Come up here Nate. I want the audience to see you," said the Madame.
Against his better judgement, Nate stood up and walked up the few wooden steps onto the stage. Nate stood next to Madame Illusia on the stage.
"Now then, ladies and gentlemen, we have a young man here who likes to watch others be transformed, but did not volunteer to be transformed himself..."
"Please, I don't want this. Just let me go..." said Nate, suddenly afraid of what Madame Illusia was going to do to him.
"...now then, what should we do with him?" asked Madame Illusia.
"Change him! Change him!" chanted the audience.
The Madame walked behind Nate, re-appearing on the other side of him. "Yes, but into what?"
Nate looked over to her, trembling. "Please..."
People started yelling out suggestions. The Madame gave a wave of her hand and the crowd stopped.
"I can see the fear in your eyes, Nate. But I can see some excitement too. You've had transformation fantasies for yourself. What were they?" asked The Madame. "You never know, one may come true tonight..."
"Well, I've had several..." started Nate.
"Yes..."
"I've fantasized about turning into a werewolf, a satyr, a dragon, a minotaur, a merman, a centaur..."
"Oh my, I knew you were going to be a fun third act," said the Madame. "Decisions, Decisions..."
"The thing is though, you said any spell would be permanent. I'm not sure I want something permanent."
"And spoil my fun and that of the audience...I think not. I will transform you and you will love it. Now, what to do..."