“W-What have you done to me?” she croaked, her voice hoarse from all her screaming.

“Here.” Agathon took out an antique silver mirror, and handed it to Abigail. “Why don’t you take a look for yourself?”

Abigail peered into the mirror, and screamed at her own abominable appearance. “No! This can’t be happening. Why me? Mother!” Abigail looked around frantically, her eyes glazed with terror. “Mother! Help me!”

“Now you are as monstrous on the outside as you are on the inside, Abigail Snow.” The sorcerer declared as he stared down at her coldly. “This is your punishment. Your curse. Your test.”

With trembling arms Abigail pushed herself up off the floor. She had to get help. Someone had to save her from this evil sorcerer. Once on her own two feet, she made a mad dash for the ballroom and entered. “Help! Someone, please, help me! This man…he…this sorcerer, he-!”

The music stopped playing and everyone turned to stare at Abigail and what she’d become. Their eyes widened and several people screamed in terror. Others were too shocked or surprised to scream, but were equally afraid. “Ah, it’s a monster!” “It’s the legendary yeti!” “Run for your lives!” “It’s…the Abominable Snowman!”

Abigail’s brow furrowed in confusion until she realized how she must have appeared to her guests in this new form. I’ve been transformed into…a yeti. Abigail reached her hand out towards one of her friends that ran past her, and headed for the exit. “Wait! Please. Won’t anyone help me?” she cried desperately.

Agathon calmly strolled into the ballroom at a languid pace as people ran past him. “You must help yourself, Abigail Snow. There is only one way to break the curse - a young man must fall in love with you despite your monstrous appearance, and you must fall in love with him. Only the power of true love can break the curse.”

“True love?” Abigail scoffed bitterly, remembering her parents and how they’d appeared to be so in love, and how her father had poisoned her mother. They’d been the picture perfect couple, but it had all been a lie. “There is no such thing as true love. That’s just a fairytale!”

Agathon shrugged carelessly. “Believe what you will, but true love is the most powerful force in the universe, and the only power that can activate the Philosopher’s Stone.” The sorcerer handed Abigail the rainbow-colored stone. “Take heed, your time to break the curse is limited. A crack has already formed in the stone. Once the stone shatters, you will no longer have the chance to regain your humanity.” The sorcerer spun around, his cloak billowing out behind him and headed for the open double doors.

Abigail panicked as she watched him go. “No! Wait!” Her voice was tinged with desperation. “Where are you going? You can’t just leave me here alone like this! I can’t do this alone!”

Agathon glanced over his shoulder at the yeti girl. “You will not be alone. Your loyal servants will be here to help you. Their fate is tied with yours now.”

“W-What do you mean?” Abigail gave the sorcerer a searching look.

As if in response to Abigail’s question, her servants began to appear and reveal themselves. Abigail gasped when she noted that they’d all been turned into stone statues that could move and talk.

Abigail looked down at the Aurora Borealis quartz sitting in the palm of her hand. When the Philosopher’s Stone shattered - they too would shatter into dust. She gulped.

“Their lives are now in your hands, Abigail Snow,” Agathon called as he left the ballroom. “It is up to you to break the curse. Save them, and save yourself.”