The Frog and The Beast

The Frog Chapter 5

The chaos of the dance faded into a surreal backdrop as I stared into the compact mirror, disbelief coursing through my tiny, froggy form. My wide eyes bulged in shock, my skin now a vibrant green, slick and moist, with a single streak running down my back that matched the color of my hair. My clothes hung around me like a tarp, oversized and utterly ridiculous. I croaked again, this time in frustration, the sound echoing my astonishment.

Minerva stood before me, her expression a twisted blend of triumph and anger. "Now you know what it feels like to be dismissed, to be overlooked," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Maybe now you'll think twice before dancing with someone else."

"Ribbit!" I protested, my froggy voice utterly inadequate against her derision. It was infuriating—both the transformation and her overzealous reaction. This wasn't how a dance was supposed to go; this was a nightmare.

"What did you do to me?!"

"Funny thing," she continued, a wicked smile creeping across her face. "You know that rumor about me and my sisters being witches? Well, it's true."

"No way! Don't tell me you actually are—"

"I am, and so are my sisters. We've had enough of being the butt of everyone's joke."

"What joke did I pull? I was nice to you!"

"But you didn't want me! You wanted a princess! Right?"

Dear God, this woman was irrational.

"Now listen here, you psycho! Change me back immediately or else!"

"Or else what?"

"I... I... I don't know what I'll do! But I swear you'll be sorry for this!"

"Now don't get 'hopping' mad," she chuckled at her pun. "There is a way to break the spell. You could find a princess, get her to be your friend, share her table and her bed with you, and maybe, if her heart is full of love for you, she could kiss you."

She cackled, the sound chilling me to the bone.

"But that doesn't sound very likely, does it?"

"You're insane! You're out of your mind! I'll call the police! Or a bunch of puritans, and they'll burn you at the stake!"

"Good luck with that. No one can hear your human voice except those affected by magic. If you say one word to anyone, all they'll hear is ribbit, croak, ribbit. From now on, to the whole world, you're nothing more than a common frog. Well, almost common. At night, you can shed your frog skin and return to your previous form. But if you're ever seen by human eyes in that form, then you'll be mine for good. My own personal pet."

This was not happening! This was so not happening! This was just a dream—a horrible, bad dream! She wasn't really a witch, and I wasn't really a frog. Any minute now, I would wake up in my bed, and this would all be over.

I started pinching myself with my webbed fingers, squeezing as hard as I could. It hurt like hell, but when I opened my eyes, I was still a frog.

"You can't do this!" I cried out desperately. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

She just laughed again and began flapping her arms. Before my eyes, she transformed into a black crow, and I was engulfed by a powerful darkness. I think I passed out because the next time I could see, I was back in my bed, and it was morning.

"It really was a nightmare," I muttered, feeling groggy.

A knock came at the door.

"Natsu, honey?" It was my mother. "Are you dressed? I need to get your laundry."