"Maybe it didn't do anything drastic," Jane said, hoping that she was right.
The doorbell rang, startling Jane.
"Who could that be?" Jane asked. She was afraid to open the door. Not only because she didn't know who it was, but also because she didn't want anyone to see her like this.
The doorbell rang again, but this time it was accompanied by a knock.
"You better get that," Athena said.
Jane hesitantly rose from the sofa and approached the door. After opening it, she saw that it was Linda. But she looked so different. Her usual blouse and flower-print skirt had been replaced by a full-length black velvet dress, she wore fishnet gloves on her hands (very similar to Athena's), and although her hair was still long and pulled back into a pony tail, its color had changed from dirty blond to black and appeared to be quite bristly. Her complexion was pale and she wore make-up that was very similar to Jane's. Black eyeliner, black nail polish.
Jane was so shocked by Linda's new appearance that she wasn't paying attention to what her friend was saying.
"Jane? Are you listening to me?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if you have any lizard tongues."
"What?" Did she just say lizard tongues?
At that moment, Athena pushed Jane aside.
"Oh, Athena. I didn't know you were here."
"I can help you out."
"Thanks, Athena."
Linda walked into the house, following Athena to the basement. All the while, Jane could do nothing but stare.
About a minute later, Linda and Athena came back with a jar full of what looked like pink strips.
"Thanks for letting me borrow these, Jane," Linda said, smiling. She held up the jar, showing them to her. They weren't pink strips. They were tongues. Lizard tongues.
Jane felt like she was going to be sick.
Linda put her hand on Jane's arm. "Are you okay, Jane?" she asked.
"Uh, she's fine," Athena said. "She just needs some sleep."
"I've got a potion for that, if you want it. It would only take me a minute to go get it."
"No, no," Athena said. "That's okay."
Linda shrugged her shoulders. "Well, anyway, thanks for the tongues."
After she left, Jane collapsed on her sofa again. "Did you see her? What have I done? Now she's just as much of a freak as I am."
Athena knelt down beside her. "You're not a freak, Jane."
She felt like one.
