Meadow closed the shop door gently, causing the antique bell hanging over it to chime quietly. She glanced quickly around the musty and gloomy store, but couldn't see any other customers, or anyone working at the till. Meadow shrugged and decided to have look around the merchandise, not particularly hopeful of finding anything that would solve her unusual problem.
As she wandered the aisle nearest the door, she picked up and examined some objects that drew her eye from the ecclectic selection scattered over the shelves. The first was a brass die, it's weight pleasing in her small hand. A faded paper label was attached by a piece of string and read 'anatomical multiplication'. Meadow read a few of the faces; 'arm', 'eye', 'breasts', but no 'hair'. Meadow sighed, and not really wanting to accidentally grow an extra body part, she carefully replaced the die exactly where she had found it.
The next thing Meadow picked up was an old corset that looked like it had been around since the Victorian era, the label read 'body reshaper'. Hmm, that could be interesting, but still not what she was looking for.
Then Meadow caught something interesting out of the side of her gaze, the word 'hair' jumped out at her from one of the labels. Meadow gingerly picked up the bottle of cream it was attached to, her heart beating with excitement. But that soon turned to disappointment when she read the label in full' 'salve of hair removal'.
Placing the bottle back down, Meadow went to pick up a large sea shell, inlaid with mother of pearl, but before she could reach it a voice called out from the rear of the shop.
'I wouldn't touch that dear, there really isn't anywhere nearby for a mermaid to swim'.
Meadow dropped her arm and turned towards the voice. The woman had sounded quite old, but Meadow was surprised to see a beautiful woman in her thirties, wearing an old fashioned dress. She mustered the courage to ask whether there was anything in the store that could make her hairier, 'I...'
'Yes, yes', the woman - Circe, Meadow assumed - interupted. 'I know what you're here for. Quite an unusual desire really, especially from someone of your... erm... what's the word these days? Gender! yes, that's it. Well, come on over here, I've got a couple of things that might be of interest'.
Too excited to be shocked, Meadow approached the counter and watched as Circe reached underneath it and pulled out two items. The shopkeeper held up the first, a silver ring encrusted with small green gems. 'This', Circe explained 'is a copying ring'. 'While you wear it you can obtain the physical attributes of anyone, or, I suppose, anything, that you touch'. Circe then picked up the other item from the counter, a small brown bottle with a label too faded to make out. 'And this is one of my favourites, Beast Juice. Just a drop or two of this will turn you into a proper wild woman, just don't take too much or you might be howling at the moon!' She finished with a dainty laugh.
Meadow was so excited she could barely speak.