Hidden Flame 33

**Avery**
I put on my robe that I was handed before I slid out of my bed. My legs ached but they didn’t feel weak. “You guys can
look now,” I said as I noticed that they all had their eyes closed. Am I even more hideous than I was?
After I took Conner’s outstretched hand, he led me into my bathroom. When Clint flipped on the light, I gasped. I
stepped forward and stared at my reflection. I touched the mirror to see if it was an illusion because I couldn’t believe the
young woman staring back at me. Yes, she has my eyes but her skin is no longer pale and riddled with acne. Her hair is
not mated, frizzy, or haphazardly sitting atop my head. I leaned even closer so that my nose touched the cool glass of the
mirror. My eyes shone brighter and now had flecks of silver, gold, red, blue, and green among my dark honey brown. I
took a strand of my hair and examined it closely. It is smoother, longer, and thicker. In addition to the textural change, it
now has red and golden blonde accentuating the once flat mousey brown. “Is this some kind of trick?”
I raised my eyes up and saw the Trio g