Following the blond woman and the Police Officer, I would have looked around to consider another target to use the Ring on, but that was when the bus that I’d been waiting for arrived. Getting on and paying the fare, I made my way right to the back, where there was enough distance from me and anyone else to keep anyone from hearing me if I kept things quiet enough.
With regards to Virginia Drives, the fact that she still had a helmet and elbow pads (knee pads too when I recalled the sight), along with the handbag that the first one still had suggested that despite wishing for nudity with the targets, certain items would remain, namely safety/work gear and personal carriers.
Wondering about what next to do left me facing my reflection in the window, and that’s when the idea struck, I could just make myself the next target. And besides, it would give me another chance to test out what the Ring could do.
‘I wish that I would become a naked dinosaur person, specifically an Apatosaur.’ I silently thought the wish, seeing if thinking of the wish would work, before making a quick amendment. ‘But my coat will remain, modified so it still fits. I am the only one who notices this, everyone else thinking its perfectly normal.’ I added to it, needing the coat for its pockets and to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
It did. Seconds later, I found myself with a long neck (and tail to match that curled round to in front of my bare feet), thick but stubby claw-like ends to the fingers and toes, a long head at the top of my neck, arms and legs thick with muscle though the abs were flat and not a six-pack. The legs and chest could be seen since my coat was open, and would ordinarily stop by my knees had I been standing. All coloured soft-brown with a tan underbelly that I could see.
‘Okay, so thinking the wish works as well.’ I thought, curious now as to the scope of what it could do. The bus had since passed its next stop but was still only about half-full, but that was enough for me.
‘I wish that everyone else currently on this bus would become naked dinosaur people, with myself being the only one to see anything unusual about it.’
And again, that’s exactly what happened. Where before there’d been a number of people going about their business, now sat a group of human-sized dinosaurs of varying species. A triceratops construction worker who still had his hard hat, steel toecap boots and utility belt. A raptor lady with her handbag. And a Carnotaur driving the bus. All paying the fact that they were dinosaur people and pretty much naked for the most part.
At the next stop, some got off and a few came on, the others paying the changed no real mind, at least, no more than they normally would. And I had three stops before mine came up, and wondered if I should stay on until then, or leave early to look around and see what else I could do.