Lillian stared at the golden pearl for a moment. Then she reached and out and took it from the oystery, holding it in front of her and gazing at it intently.
"Lets do it in the tub, just to be safe."
Starla snickered as she closed the oyster and returned it to the jewelry box.
"What's so funny?"
"Your choice of words."
Lillian stopped in thought for a moment, blushed a little then laughed.
They returned to the bathroom. Starla refilled the bathtub with fresh water and Lillian stood in the room, almost transfixed by the golden pearl in her hand. She occasionally took her gaze off the pearl to look at Starla and thought about their lifelong friendship.
Starla's voice snapped Lillian back to the present time. "Ready whenever you are."
Lillian clenched the pearl confidently in her hand and walked to the tub. She let her nightgown fall to the floor and stepped into the tub. Tilting her head back, she put the pearl in her mouth and swallowed it with some difficulty then carefully sat down in the water.
Once her legs were fully submerged, Lillian felt a chill run down her spine all the way to the tips of her toes. Lillian gasped; as Starla had said, it wasn't painful but it was intense. She felt the uncontrollable urge to press her legs together as tightly as she could and didn't resist. After a few moments, her legs stuck together. Golden scales began to appear all over Lillian's legs as they transformed into a mermaid tail.