Amy had just finished putting everything she was carrying onto the counter when her skin erupted in millions of tiny prickles. She scratched her arms furiously.
"It's happening again?" Lina asked. She turned to the old man. "Can't you stop it?"
"It's too late to stop it," the old man said as he eyed Amy with a knowing expression. He didn't look bothered in the least.
Fur was growing everywhere she had bare skin. The hairs that grew in were mostly white, but she had several large black spots as well. On her face, a patch of black hair covered a quarter of its upper left site. It circled down to her cheek, up her nose, past her eye and went into her hair, presumably to match the large black portion of her left ear. Her hair changed as well. Amy's brown locks developed faded white streaks.
She stopped scratching her arms and simply watched the fur grow in. When it was over, she asked the old man for a mirror. He pulled one out, apparently used to the request. Amy stared hard at her new face.
"So cool," she murmured. "Yeah, I'm definitely stopping here. This is perfect."
The old man referred back to his large book, having kept the place with the removal spell open from before. He waved his right hand toward Amy and muttered an indecipherable mantra, then twirled a finger to instruct Amy to turn around. When she lifted up her shirt to expose the black magic circle (which was almost completely hidden under her new fur), the old man snapped his fingers. Lina saw the tattoo fade away as if it was never there.
"There you go," the old man smiled. "Always nice to see a satisfied customer."
Amy thanked him repeatedly, then offered him ten more dollars than what he charged. He waved off the tip. "Spell removals are free...as long as they were put there on purpose." He winked at Amy, then stuffed her clothes into a bag. "Oh, one more thing. With that circle gone, people aren't going to take your transformation lightly. I recommend you choose a talisman to enchant with a new spell that should correct matters."
"What kind of talisman?"
"Anything you'd like. I can cast the spell on one of your rings, if you wish."
Amy asked him to enchant her nose ring, and when it was done (also at no charge), the girls left the store. "You know, Amy," Lina remarked as they walked home, "Either that spell is affecting me, or I'm really getting used to your new look."
Amy smiled, happy to hear her best friend accept the changes she desired, and wondered what new experiences her form would bring to her previously ordinary life.