The next day, Dana woke up. Realizing she was covered in mud, wearing a plain outfit, and her hair was mostly gone, she came to the conclusion that she wasn't dreaming. The tears came back in an instant upon realizing the lack of luscious brown curls draping on her shoulders and back.
"Patterson, are we almost there?"
"Just a bit more, Jennifer. The beauty lilies should be up ahead."
Panicked, Dana scrambled to her feet and hid behind some nearby bushes. She didn't want anyone to see her while she was still ugly. She heard footsteps up ahead. Curious, she peaked from behind the bushes, only to see the two kids from last night's performance. She recalled their names: Patterson Southeast and Jennifer Pines. Patterson was holding some kind of maroon book, one that resembled the ones she and Marcus owned.
"You sure these beauty lilies can help Rebecca?" Jennifer asked.
"According to the journal, the beauty lilies have magical powers," Patterson explained. "One of those powers includes permanently restoring anyone's eyesight, so they never have to use glasses and contacts again."
"I personally think Rebecca looks rather cute with glasses," Jennifer said.
"Judging from this morning's panic, she doesn't feel the same way," Patterson recalled. "Now where are those beauty lilies?"
Feeling suddenly brave, Dana walked out from behind the bushes and approached the cousins. "I think I know where the beauty lilies are," she said. Hopefully she looked like a complete stranger to them.
"Wait a minute," Patterson said. "I recognize that voice..." He walked over to Dana, and wiped the mud away from her forehead, exposing her unique birthmark.
"My goodness!" Jennifer exclaimed. "That's the girl from the Castle of Telepathy!"
"What happened to you?" Patterson asked Dana, remembering that she looked drastically different from last night.
"My brother happened," Dana explained. "He took away my beauty to teach me some kind of lesson. Apparently I'm supposed to 'prove I'm naturally beautiful' or something like that. But look at me! I'm hideous!"
"Yeah, no kidding," Patterson said. "You're mostly bald!"
"Patterson, didn't we find some kind of hair-restoring goop a few days ago?" Jennifer asked.
"I think so," Patterson answered. He looked back at Dana. "Here's the deal. You show us where the beauty lilies are, and then we'll take you back to the Surprise Hut so we can restore your hair. Are you okay with that?"
Dana hesitated for a moment. On one hand, the Surprise Hut was rumored to be a cheap tourist trapped. But on the other hand, this was her only chance to restore part of her beauty. She knew she had no other choice.
"Fine," Dana said. "I accept."
After Dana showed Patterson and Jennifer the beauty lilies, the cousins picked a small handful of the magical flowers. They then brought her back to the Surprise Hut. (Although in Dana's opinion, it looked more like a shack than a hut.)
Patterson opened the door to the gift shop, allowing him, Jennifer, and Dana to enter. "We're back!" Patterson called out.
The three kids were greeted by a large woman with short brown hair. She wore a black dress, dark grey leggings, black high heels, and a maroon fez. "Welcome back, kids," she said. "Did you find those magical flowers?"
"We sure did, Aunt Bonnie," Patterson said, holding up the beauty lilies.
"How splendid!" Bonnie said in delight. She noticed Dana. "Oh my, who's this young lady?"
"I'm Dana Gleeful," Dana said.
"Gleeful?" Bonnie asked. She sounded disgusted. "What are you doing in my precious little hut?"
"It's okay, ma," Jennifer said. "We chose to bring her here. She said her brother cursed her to be like this, so we're going to help her."
"I don't know..." Bonnie said suspiciously. "It could be a trick."
"Trick?" Jennifer asked.
"Haven't you heard what everyone says about the Gleefuls?" Bonnie asked. "They're the accomplices of a vicious demon who gave them everything they ever wanted in exchange for a lifetime of servitude. They probably killed people to do that!"
"This doesn't sound like a typical Gleeful trick to me," Patterson said. "Besides, I trust her."
"Oh well," Bonnie said, leaving the gift shop. "It's your funeral."
With the flowers in hand, Patterson and Jennifer approached a blonde teenage girl who was apparently the cashier. She wore a long-sleeved green dress and dark green glasses. "Hey Rebecca," Patterson said, giving the girl a beauty lily. "We found something to permanently fix your eyesight."
Rebecca looked at the beauty lily. "So how's this gonna make sure I never have to wear glasses again?" she asked.
"Drop the nectar into each eye," Patterson explained.
"Alright," Rebecca said. She took off her glasses and dropped the flower's nectar into each of her eyes. She blinked, then smiled. "Wow," she said. "Thanks kids."
Smiling, Patterson and Jennifer walked back to Dana. "Now to get your hair back," Patterson said.
And so, Patterson and Jennifer brought Dana over to their bedroom in the attic. "So what was that all about?" Dana asked. "Why would you help a teen fix her eyesight?"
"Rebecca Valentino might look like a normal girl, but she's not," Jennifer explained as Patterson looked around the room. "Since her mom is a siren and her dad is a normal human, she's a half-siren hybrid."
"That girl is a siren?" Dana asked. She couldn't believe it.
"Like her mother and nineteen aunts, Rebecca has the ability to brainwash guys through song," Jennifer continued. "She uses that ability to persuade male customers to buy keychains at the gift shop. But recently she wondered if her glasses were repelling her 'victims', so Patterson and I decided to find a magical beautifying flower to help her out."
"How did you find out about those beauty lilies anyway?" Dana asked. "Was it from that journal Patterson has?"
"Yep," Jennifer answered. "Ever since he found that book in the woods at the beginning of summer, we've been using the magical artifacts to help the locals in this town."
"Here it is," Patterson said, taking out a container filled with bright green goop. He walked over to the two girls.
"So how's this supposed to restore my hair?" Dana asked.
"Easy," Patterson replied. "I'll apply a small amount of goop to your scalp and your hair will be instantly restored." Then he noticed Dana was still covered in mud. "But you better get cleaned up first. I don't know what would happen if the goop is mixed with mud."
One Shower Later...
Dana came back to the attic wearing a white robe, her body free of mud. "Where are my clothes?" she asked the cousins.
"Dalls put your dress in the wash and she's currently wiping the mud off your shoes," Jennifer explained.
"Dalls?" Dana asked.
"She's the hut's repairwoman and one of our friends," Patterson explained. He took out a small handful of green goop. "Now hold still."
When Patterson applied the goop to Dana's nearly-bald scalp, the former girl psychic cringed in disgust. The goop felt so slimy and gross! When Patterson was done, there was a flash of light. When it died down, she checks her reflection in the attic's vanity mirror. Sure enough, her long, straight, brown hair was restored. It was as if Marcus never cut it in the first place.
Dana looked at Patterson, smiling wide. "Thank you," she said.
"Glad me and my cousin could help," Patterson said
"So what are you going to do now?" Jennifer asked.
Dana thought about it. She knew she couldn't go back to her old life at the Castle of Telepathy, and this was the first time someone treated her with kindness. She knew this was her only choice.
"Actually, can I stay here for a while?" Dana asked. "It won't be long. Just until this stupid curse is lifted."
"I don't know..." Jennifer said. "Ma probably won't allow it."
"Well I say you're welcome to stay here as long as you want," Patterson said with a sincere smile.
"Really?" Dana asked.
"Sure," Patterson replied. "You can even sleep in the hut's spare room."
"Thank you so much, Patterson," Dana said. Hopefully this will be the first step to a bright future.