Editing actual contents of a selection and not just the dashed selection outline

I'm editing an image of a plain white clock with black hands. I want to rotate both hands together to point at other numbers on the clock than they are currently pointing at. I selected the hands with the quick selection tool so only the hands are selected. But when I go to transform OR free transform, both options only effect the outline. So I can't move the hands, rotate, or anything, because just the outline moves. I tried saving the selection, but when I go into that saved selection it gives me the outline of the selection with white space filling it, the hands are not in the selection. How do I make the transform or free transform effect the actual contents of  the selection so I can rotate the hands?