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Sophia tightly closed her eyes, taking slow breaths in an attempt to control her heart rate. She wasn’t having an argument with a friend, a teacher, or her boss. The one who stood before her was a goddess, a powerful, supernatural entity that could manipulate reality. It had quickly become apparent that Hesat had little intention of loosening her grip on Belle.
“There’s nothing innately wrong with being a cow,” Sophia continued. “However, Belle’s identity is human. She grew up as a human, has lived as one, and has dreams and aspirations that can only be achieved as a human.”
Hesat stayed silent and intently watched Sophia, waiting for her to continue.
Sophia pressed onward, refusing to give up. “You wouldn’t have cursed her in the way you have if it wasn’t meant to be a punishment. I’m sure a cow-turned-human would lament her fate and wish for a return to normalcy.”
“A fair point,” Hestat warmly replied. “Is there anything else?”
Was the goddess truly considering her pleas? Sophia clenched her fists, gaining confidence as she spoke. “Considering my points, don’t you think she’s suffered enough? She needs time to ruminate on her mistakes; she can’t do that now.”
Hesat stood silently, tilting her head slightly as she gazed upon Sophia and carefully considered her words.
Sophia bit her lip, feeling the pressure of Hesat’s piercing blue eyes peering into her very soul. ‘Did I make a mistake?’ She had no idea what to expect.
“You’re saying she needs more time without the pressure of her constant transformation to ruminate and repent?” Hesat inquired.
“Y-- Yes, basically. Among other things.” Sophia stammered.
“Very well. I will show some leniency,” Hesat conceded with a sigh.
Sophia’s eyes widened in shock as she trembled. “Thank you! I-- I can’t thank you enough!” Had she truly saved Belle?
“Hold on,” the goddess replied. “I will show leniency, but I will not let her off the hook.”
Sophia winced, her spirits dampening. There was always a catch.
“The farmer you know as Roger is my follower. As are many who farm or work in similar trades. Sadly, there are fewer who know my name in this day and age, but I manage to get by.”
“Roger-- is your follower?”
Hesat nodded, her tail lazily flicking. “I will lay out the terms of Miss Belle’s final chance. Listen closely.” She didn’t like to repeat herself. “Belle’s burgeoning udder will finish forming over the next hour. By the end of the evening, she will no longer have hands. However, she’ll still have breasts, curves, and a mouth capable of slurred speech. Other than those two changes, her transformation will cease for seventy-two hours. Her mind will be subject to the effects of her hormones and ever-changing instincts, but I will not be using my influence over her mind. She will have the freedom to think and behave however she wishes without the fear of her brain and body changing beyond her control.”
Sophia carefully digested Hesat’s every word. Belle would have to spend seventy-two hours with four hooves and a swollen udder dangling from her abdomen; she wasn’t looking forward to breaking this news to her friend.
“During those seventy-two hours, she will live on Roger’s farm, not as a farmhand, but as a cow. She will eat with the cows, sleep with the cows, and even defecate with the cows. After three days have passed, I will make a decision regarding her ultimate fate. I want her to remain composed during this time and accept her punishment with as much grace as she can muster. She must reflect and empathize with the cows and the farmers who tend to their needs.”
Sophia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This meant Belle would walk around on four hooves, living as a cow for three days. “I-- I umm-- it’s just… Miss Hesat-- please…” She tried to find the words but feared upsetting Hesat after the goddess already had to compromise.
“No.” Hesat coldly replied. “This is my final deal. The seventy-two-hour period will begin once Miss Belle’s hands finish their metamorphosis. As a cow would, she will spend this period without clothes.” She briefly paused to take in Sophia’s horrified expression. “Miss Belle is in your car, if I’m not mistaken. Bring her to Roger’s farm and bring my idol to him. Let him know I have a message for him, and then I will communicate with him just as I’m doing with you right now.”
Sophia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her eyes rapidly shifted back and forth as she combed over every tidbit of information Hesat gifted her with. Belle would spend three days living as a cow, forced to walk about on four hooves with her naked ass and genitals exposed to the balmy summer air. The thought of telling Belle all this made her blood run cold. She could handle only so much wailing and screaming without breaking down and having a panic attack.
“For what it’s worth, you are a good friend and person,” Hesat warmly responded. “Regardless of Belle’s fate, I will bestow my verdant blessing upon you. Any plants you tend to and care for will flourish. As will any land you till and work.”
Sophia felt a sudden rush of elation followed by a pang of conflict. She loved working farms, gardens, and the field of botany in general. Receiving such a blessing was a great honor and a massive boon. “Th-- thank you… It’s an honor,” she quietly replied, unsure what else to say.
“I am expecting great things for you. I am sending you back now; please relay the relevant information to Miss Belle.”
Sophia tried to respond, but no sound came out despite her speaking. The world swirled around her, growing increasingly foggy as her vision blurred. Her connection with Hesat had been severed, forcing her back to the material plane.
“W-- Wait!” Sophia cried as her eyes shot open. Belle’s whimpering and moaning immediately flooded her ears as she shakily glanced around her car’s inside. She blinked a couple of times and rubbed her eyes, trying to reorient herself.
It only took a few seconds for her fragmented thoughts to coalesce into something she could adequately process. With that clarity came a pang of icy dread that chilled her body to the core. Could she really do this? The prospect of coaching Belle through the next three days of her life was wholly terrifying.
“H-- Hey, Belle…” Sophia quietly stated as she sat Hesat’s statuette on the passenger seat and glanced at the rear-view mirror.
“Urgh…” Belle trembled and sniffed, snot running down her face as she moaned. “W-- Whassh?...” She muttered in response.
“We’re heading to Roger’s farm. I spoke with Hesat, and we have another chance to save you,” Sophia promised with a strained smile. She then started the car and put it into reverse.
Belle’s eyes widened as she quickly turned and faced Sophia. “Whath? H-- H-- How?”
“Don’t worry about the details right now,” Sophia quickly replied. “We’ll focus on getting you to the farm; just try to take deep breaths and calm yourself, okay?” As selfish as it was, she couldn’t handle Belle’s reaction to Hesat’s deal while stuck in a vehicle with her. At least she could step away as needed when they made it to the farm.
Belle didn’t have the energy or will to push any further. Regardless, Sophia’s confident proclamation caused a spark of hope to ignite once more. She weakly nodded before placing her hands over her face while slowly breathing.
Sophia pulled onto the main road and started her trek to the farm. “Belle-- umm… Maybe you should keep yourself obscured from sight,” she gently suggested, noting her friend’s pained look in the rear-view mirror.
Hours earlier, Sophia had been ruminating over her relationship with Belle. They went back quite far and had been friends since a young age. She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a tired expression.
She spent more than an hour ruminating while the air conditioner’s gentle hum droned. The longer she lay in silence, the sadder she grew. A visage of grief spread across her face as she lamented the apparent death of her oldest friendship. Why had things gone this way? Belle used to be different-- kinder, even. Right?
Sophia reached toward her nightstand and turned off her lamp. When stressed, she liked to deprive her senses by lying in the dark with her eyes closed and white noise to drown out any lingering sounds.
Sure, there were plenty of times when Belle let her down, but there were also times when Belle proved her friendship. There was a time in ninth grade when a group of aggressive girls made fun of Sophia and harassed her over her choice to go vegetarian. Belle was quick to step in and tell these girls to go fuck off. Not only that, but she even punched one of them when things got bad.
“I wonder if she remembers that,” Sophia mused, rolling onto her side as she pulled her knees to her chest.
There was also the time Sophia attempted to give herself a haircut after an unsavory breakup. Needless to say, she butchered her hair and was an emotional wreck. Belle convinced her everything would be okay before taking her to a trusted hair salon.
“What happened?” She muttered, unable to stop herself from circling back to that thought. When did Belle become such a self-absorbed delinquent? She wracked her brain, combing through her memories. After a couple of minutes, she winced as the answer potentially came to her. They had met Daniela when they were sixteen and thought she was cool then. The bad girl didn’t appear too worrisome then, and her access to seemingly endless money and resources helped endear her to Sophia and Belle. Herself and Bret h
She distinctly recalled talking with Belle during lunch as they tried to figure out how to make it to a concert without a car or money. Daniela overheard and injected herself into the conversation by sitting with them and offering her help with a wide grin. The rest was history. Belle had been showing some troublesome signs before their group of two became three, but her behavior definitely escalated after that point.
‘What should I do?’ She opened her eyes and grabbed her phone from the nightstand before idly browsing her texts. Her stomach twisted into knots when she saw Bret’s name in the messenger. It was true that Belle fucked up big time with Bret, but Sophia still couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She had been talking with him since the breakup, and it was impossible to deny that she’d been careful not to mention any of it to Belle. She hadn’t kissed him, and they hadn’t been physically intimate, but she still couldn’t shake an unwanted emotion that permeated the dark corners of her mind. When they broke up, she felt a slight giddiness and relief. After all, Bret had much more in common with her than he did with Belle.
Still, though. It broke her heart when she imagined how it would have felt to find out about their text conversation like Belle did. She hoped they could talk through their differences and make up sometime soon.
A call suddenly came in while mulling everything over and glancing at her texts. Belle’s name and number flashed on the screen before her eyes. “Belle?” She whispered before answering the call.
In the present, Sophia continued to drive, heading down the country road that led to Roger’s farm. Belle still sniffed and occasionally whimpered in the backseat, but had managed to stop wailing in despair.
“We’re almost there. Just five more minutes, okay?” Sophia warmly insisted, glancing toward the rear-view mirror with a forced smile.
Belle nodded in response, not wishing to speak with her mouth in its current state.
Once they pulled into the dirt driveway, Sophia stopped the car in the shade of a willow tree and exited before opening the backdoor to help Belle. She opened her mouth to speak before stopping and hesitating. ‘Maybe I should leave her here for a moment.’ She took a slow breath before talking. “Do you want to stay here for a moment while I talk to Roger?”
Belle tilted her head to face her friend, her now-brown eyes sunken and tired. She weakly nodded in response before resting her head against the back of the seat in front of her. “Uggh…” She rubbed her swollen udder and grunted. Her fingers had further stiffened, but her mind seemed clearer than before. ‘I-- I just… I need to trust Sophia-- I can think more clearly… I will be okay-- she’s going to help me… I will be okay.’ The blinds shrouding her mind in despair had cracked open ever so slightly, allowing a sliver of light to pierce the darkness. All she could do was sit and pray that this light was a positive sign-- a good omen that harbingered her ascent back toward humanity.
She sat silently as Sophia promised a quick return and marched toward the farmhouse’s rickety wooden porch. She was alone once more, left to her own devices to contemplate the futility and fragility of human existence. ‘My hands…’ She winced, holding her swollen fingers up. They were covered in white fur, and she could not move her fingertips.
‘Pop! Crrck!’
Belle moaned in pain as her hands audibly popped and ground. She distinctly felt the pinky finger of each hand fuse to the ring finger. Eyes wide with terror, she tried to separate her fingers, but they wouldn’t budge. Seconds later, the pinky and ring fingers of each hand stuck together. “N-- Neeuugh….” She stammered as the skin on her fingers gradually darkened. This was one of the steps she had been dreading above all else, and now it was coming to fruition despite Sophia’s claim that she could be saved.
CHAPTER END
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