Now that he's locked into the wooden apparatus, the old man seems much less friendly in his attitude toward Mike. He thought about the choices that have been named. "You said the steel shackles come with a rebate? Is that cash now, or do you give that to me later?" "Later," the man said brusquely. "Make your choice; we have other customers to serve, and we don't have all day for you to make up your mind."
Mike didn't feel like he has enough information, but it didn't seem like it should be a problem if he stuck to the free choices, or ones that would give him a rebate. "Make it steel, then," he said in a firm voice.
The moan in the background - did it turn into a choked sob? In any case, it is followed by silence. Without further words, the old man turned away, and then turned back with the steel shackles with chains. Roughly, he clamps the shackles onto Mike's wrists and ankles. He then pulls out a pair of stainless steel clip-on ringlets, and starts tightening them down on Mike's earlobes. Having done so, he pulled the filthy curtains aside from the mirror which faced the chair. "Behold your choice," the old man said sardonically.
The light was dim, and it was hard for Mike to see his reflection in the mirror. Thus, Mike felt the change begin before he saw it. His ears gave an involuntary twitch, and then twitched again. Mike turned his head to see if he could see the ringlets on his ears, and it almost felt like his ears... wobbled... when he did so.
And then things became clearer; not that it was any brighter in the booth, but in the mirror, Mike's ears had clearly... grown. As Mike watched, his ears grew taller and broader, and started darkening with hair. "Hey!" Mike protested. "What's happening!?! This is not what I came in here for?"
"But that's what you're getting," the old man said with satisfaction. You get these shackles and those ear ringlets for free, and a rebate to boot, and you think it's not going to cost you?" He chuckled. "I love the young ones; they're always SO naive..."
Mike watched, grimly, as his ears grew longer and larger. "You can have your shackles and ear ringlets, then," he said. "Just let me out of here."
The old man shook his head in mock surprise. "Oh, no, I couldn't do that!" he smiled. "Your preview isn't nearly done yet!" Mike shook and pulled on the locks holding down his arms and legs, but they were far too solid to budge. His ears had completely transformed into donkey ears, and he could feel hair growing down the back of his neck.
And then Mike felt a tingling at the base of his spine...