Conciousness slowly returned to Johniee. She blinked, as much to clear her mind as her eyes. I must have dozed off... she thought to herself.
She gradually became aware of the weight on the front of her face, and it all came crashing down on her... Oh yeah... I'm a female elephant... In the sultan's stables... Trapped in my own weird fantasy... With Karyn as the sultan! And Jasmine has the stone!
All in all, Johniee decided, she had seen better mornings.
She didn't bother trying to stand up on two legs. Every time she had tried the day before, all she had earned was a stinging lash from the man with the whip for being "too wild". And though it galled her to make such a choice, she decided that the sooner she stopped thinking of herself as walking on two legs, the sooner she'd get used to four, then the easier time she'd have it. Both in getting around with less trouble, and in avoiding lashes from the whip.
I won't forget, though... she told herself. Inside, I'm still me. But all that trying to walk normally is getting me is a lot of stumbling and getting whipped. It still seemed like a betrayal to her, somehow. As if trying to get used to going on all fours was like conciously surrendering her humanity. But on the other hand, she told herself, what else can I do?
Stretching as best she could, Johniee suddenly noticed the fresh mass of feed someone has left in front of her while she slept. And became abruptly aware of just how hungry she was.
She began to eat the leafy shoots, and was having considerably better luck with her trunk this morning. She wasn't dropping nearly as many as she had the night before. It seemed a dubious accomplishment, but it was an accomplishment nontheless.
Before she knew it, Johniee had eaten all of her food. She was still somewhat hungry though. How much food do I NEED now? She wondered. Well, I suppose I AM an elephant, and my stomach is quite a bit bigger now... And it isn't as if I need to worry about anyone thinking I'm overweight. Particularly since I don't mean to keep this form any longer than I have to... She began trying to think of a way to fix the situation and get control of the stone back, when suddenly she heard the sounds of someone fiddling at the door. Someone was comming in to the stables.
