“What on earth are you doing?!” her mother demanded, turning her back to offer the naked teen some modesty.
“I’m drying myself!” Jen called back, now desperately rubbing her feet with a towel that was now as wet as she was. Jen’s mother could hear her grunts of frustration as she rubbed furiously at her skin.
“Jen? Are you ok?” her mother said her voice full of concern, as she turned to face her daughter. Jen squealed and covered herself as best she could with the wet towel and her hands. “I’m fine just leave me alone to get dry and then I’ll clean up the footprints… mum… please”
Her mother gave her a look of sympathy before she picked up the bath robe that lay discarded on the floor, “My god this is soaked through! Did you put this under the shower?” her mother asked.
“No! I just wore it over dinner… mum I’m worried…I…I…I can’t get dry…” Jen said as she started to cry in frustration and worry.
Her mother approached Jen, wrapping a fresh towel around her and hugged her. “Let me dry your hair ok? And then we’ll sort this out, you’re just stressed” Her mother said, guiding Jen to the dresser and starting to blow dry her hair.
After about three minutes both women became aware that something was wrong, her mother had been concentrating entirely on one spot of Jens long hair and no matter how high she put the temperature it remained defiantly wet. She stopped, “I think the blower must be broken...” but she stopped herself because she knew that it was working fine, Jen just wasn’t drying!
“Jen, sweetie I don’t want you to panic ok? There’s going to be a reason why we can’t seem to get you dry… I’ll try and use the blow dryer on your shoulder…” Jen sobbed quietly as her mother aimed the hot air at her skin, she cried in pain as the heat became unbearable but her shoulder remained as wet as it had been when she got out of the bath.
“I think we should call someone…” Jen's mother said slowly.