Turn 2 of 16
Alone in the bathroom, Jess’s appearance begins to change rapidly — heavy slutty makeup, thick fake lashes, a deep tan, and voluminous, styled hair. She panics and desperately tries to fight the transformation.
Jess stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her breath coming in shallow bursts as the changes accelerated without warning. Her skin began to darken smoothly from its usual fair tone into a deep, even tan that spread across her face, neck, and arms like warm sunlight baked into her pores. She rubbed at her cheeks frantically with a paper towel, but the color only deepened, giving her a sun-kissed glow that screamed artificial perfection rather than her natural understated look. Her heart pounded as she watched her lips plump slightly, the crimson from her nails seeming to bleed upward into a glossy, bold shade that matched. Panic clawed at her throat while she whispered to herself that this was impossible, that she needed to stop it somehow before Leo noticed anything wrong.
She gripped the edge of the sink, her elongated nails scraping lightly against the porcelain as heavy makeup materialized on her face in rapid layers. Dark smoky eyeshadow blended itself across her lids, followed by thick black liner that winged out dramatically at the corners, turning her everyday glance into something sultry and inviting. Thick fake lashes sprouted and lengthened on their own, batting heavily with each blink and framing her eyes in an exaggerated, flirtatious way that made her look utterly unlike herself. Jess splashed cold water on her face repeatedly, scrubbing with her hands, but the cosmetics only set more firmly, her skin now radiant and flawless beneath them. She felt a wave of revulsion mixed with an unfamiliar thrill low in her belly, and she shook her head hard to dispel it.
Her hair transformed next, the simple straight cut she had worn for years suddenly gaining volume and bounce as if teased by invisible hands. Strands lightened and shifted into a platinum blonde hue that cascaded in deliberate, styled waves down past her shoulders, framing her newly tanned face with a glamorous flair that caught the fluorescent light. Jess yanked at the locks desperately, trying to pull them back into her old style or even rip them out, but they only settled more perfectly into place with a soft, silky texture that felt expensive and deliberate. She muttered curses under her breath, her voice cracking with fear while she fumbled for her phone to call for help, but her fingers trembled too much with the new nail length to type properly. The warmth from earlier now burned hotter, spreading through her limbs and making her stand a little taller despite herself.
Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to smear the heavy makeup, but even they refused to fall in a way that would ruin the look, as if the curse had already accounted for that. Jess turned away from the mirror only to glance back immediately, horrified by how the combination of tan, lashes, hair, and cosmetics made her resemble the loud escorts from the next table more than the modest woman who had rolled her eyes at them. She pressed her palms to her temples, willing the alterations to reverse with sheer mental force, repeating in her mind that she was better than this, that she loved her quiet life with Leo and would not become some flashy, attention-seeking version of those women. Yet a tiny, unwelcome voice in the back of her thoughts wondered how it might feel to embrace the confidence this new appearance promised.
The bathroom door remained closed, muffling the distant jazz from the restaurant, but Jess knew she could not hide here forever without Leo growing worried. She straightened up involuntarily, her posture shifting into something more poised and alluring as the curse pressed onward beneath her skin. With a final desperate swipe at her reflection that achieved nothing, she took a shaky breath and tried to compose herself enough to return to the table, all while fighting the growing sense that resistance might be futile against whatever had been whispered to her.