A slight nudge was enough to wake her. She could hear light breathing, and the sound of a paw shifting slightly on dirt. She moved her paw around and felt the surface that she was laying on. Dirt, with some small bits of rock mixed in. She opened her eyes and immediately shut them again. Not because of what she was looking at, though that could be considered a reason, but because her vision had gone black and white, as opposed to the color she had used to enjoy.

What she was looking at was the reason she had been turned into a dog in the first place. Bolt. Of all the places and times for him to walk by, it had to be this one. She sniffed, hoping to determine some additional information. The most she could determine was that he was alone, with neither Penny o Rhino in tow.

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked him in the face.
"Are te alright?" he asked, concerned.
She nodded, not really remembering her new lack of speech. Bolt sniffed her as she shakily stood up.

Once on her feet, the shaking subsided some. She looked around, taking things in through her new eyes. Everything, previously so full of vibrant colors, was now reduced to flat monotonous shades of gray.

A puddle nearby caught her interest. She took a few uncertain steps and gazed into it. Looking back at her was the face of a black and white-furred Border collie with green eyes, two notches in the left ear, and almost identical markings to her precedente form. Hopefully, Bolt would never notice. The collar, though, had been laying there beneath her, torn from her neck when she transformed. If he noticed the collar, and identified it, it was all over for her.

And he did. Once he got done looking her over, he looked around and his eyes alit on the broken collar. His expression changed and he strode to it, sniffing.

Mittens crouched there over the puddle, waiting anxiously.

With a horrible look on his face, he turned and rounded on her.
"Where'd that collare come from?" he demanded harshly.
She shrugged. It was all she could do.
"Where did te get it?"
Another shrug.
Bolt pounced on her and pinned her down, making a huge splash in the puddle.
"WHERE DID te GET IT!" he shouted.
She whined, terrified.

The whine seemed to affect Bolt. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he got off of her, allowing her to get up. She did, and shook the water vigorously from her fur.
"I'm sorry..." he said. "It's just that that collare smells just like a dear friend of mine. She ran out on me last night and I'm worried about her."
Mittens perked up her new somewhat floppy ears.
"I was an culo to her last night, and I wanted to apologize. I tracked her scent to right here, but I guess she tore it off and split."
She put a sympathetic look on her face.
"Anyway, I'm Bolt," detto Bolt, reaching out a paw for a bump.
Mittens returned the bump and used her paw to scratch a fake name into the dirt between them. She scratched: Jodie.
"It's nice to meet you, Jodie," Bolt said, dipping his head.
She dipped her head in return, mind thinking fast. At some point, she'd have to tell him who she really was, but that could wait for a bit...