Vera Violet is very vain. Her dressing table is a virtual jungle of jars and pots. Potions and lotions to soothe, smooth, restore, rejuvenate, regenerate, refine, and refresh. Vera loves her face and buys nearly every product that promises beautiful, flawless skin.

One day Vera went shopping. She passed the cosmetic counter and saw something new. The display caught her eye, and her vanity.

"DEW FRESH": THE ONLY SKIN CARE SYSTEM GUARANTEED TO TAKE TEN YEARS OFF YOUR COMPLEXION.

"I'll take the whole set!," Vera told the saleswoman.

Before retiring for the night Vera faithfully did the five-step Dew Fresh regimen.

"Now, after a good night's sleep I'll wake up to a younger, more prettier me. Not that I'm already pretty. I'll look that much better."

As soon as she closed her eyes, Dew Fresh did its magic. She didn't wait for the six o'clock alarm. Vera bounded out of bed as soon as the sun peeked through her window. She flicked on the light, wiped the sleep from her eyes, then took a good look in the mirror.

She screamed.

It was the scariest thing she had ever seen...

Copyright©2003 by P.R.Parker