The Magical Dress

The girl squealed with delight at the way the dress fit. It had a tight cream-colored bodice that hugged her curves perfectly. The floor length skirt flared out at the hips with sweeps of iridescent colors layered throughout the sheer material. It had an amazing shine when her hips moved in just the right way. The actual heart shaped sweetheart neckline dipped just enough, and the soft material came up to cover her youthful bosom perfectly. She held her breath as she turned to look at her back in the mirror. She squealed again when she didn’t see the ugliness of her brace. The doctors had promised she wouldn’t have to wear it to prom but at her last checkup they found the accident had caused more damage than originally expected and she had to be in the stupid thing for six more months! She had to find a dress that made her look beautiful and still covered her brace. This was the dress. 

“Can I have it, mom? Please, it’s perfect for my senior prom. And look, you can’t see the stupid brace.” The girl twirls around letting the beautiful material flow around her body.

The mom smiled at her daughter. She had to agree that it was perfect and beautiful. She couldn’t deny her daughter the most perfect dress to wear to a prom she almost didn’t make it to. 

Tears welled in the mother’s eyes as she explained to the sweet consignment store clerk about the phone call she had received in the middle of night a few months ago. The police officer said that her daughter was in a serious accident, and they weren’t sure she was going to live. Now there she was twirling in this beautiful dress in the middle of the store. The store clerk happily sold the dress to a very deserving young girl.

A few months later the clerk at the consignment store smiled as she puts the dress on the mannequin in the shop window. She was thrilled when the sweet young girl with the back brace donated it back to the store. The girl had told her that it was a magical dress. Not only had it covered up a brace she had to wear but she had the most magical night at the prom, all because no one could see her brace and she had felt so free. Her only wish was for the clerk to sell the dress to someone else who needed magic in their life.

One day, about a month later, a young girl struggling with crutches came into the store. The clerk couldn’t help but notice how sad the girl looked. “Can I help you?”

“Probably not,” There was a roughness in her tone and a frown on her face. “I need a dress for a father-daughter dance, but it has to be long enough to cover these.” The girl let go of one crutch and pointed downward.

The clerk looked down where the girl was pointing and was saddened to see the girl had two shiny silver artificial legs. She knew instantly which dress she would offer her.

“I think I have the perfect dress. I’ll be right back.” She rushed to the window and took the dress off the mannequin. 

She held the dress up for the girl to get a good look at.  “A young girl just a bit older than you donated this dress. She said it was magical because it covered a back brace she had to wear after a car accident. She also said she had the most magical night wearing the dress. Why don’t you go try it on?” The clerk showed her where she could change.

After a few minutes of clanking and grumbling the girl emerged from the dressing room. The store clerk gasped at her beauty. “That dress is perfect on you! Absolutely gorgeous!”

The girl slowly made her way to the full-length mirror without her crutches. When she saw her reflection, she stood up straighter and smiled at herself. The clerk thought she saw a tear fall down her cheek.

The girl twirled slowly and watched the shiny material wrap around the silver metal of her legs. When she moved the dress moved with her and there was no way anyone would be able to tell her legs were not real.

The girl smiled with delight, “I’ll take it!”

A year later the store clerk smiled when the young girl who had bought the dress for the father daughter dance came into the store. She was carrying the dress and smiling.

“How did your dance go?” The clerk could see how happy the girl was.

“You were so right about this dress being magical. I was able to dance with my dad for the first time ever without my crutches, and no one could see my legs! It was so amazing, I wore it again a few months later to my prom and had an amazing night.” She handed the dress to the clerk with a warm thoughtful smile. “Please sell it to someone else who needs a bit of magic in their life.”

The clerk redressed the mannequin in the front window with the magical dress. She smiled to herself wondering how much magic was left in the beautiful dress. 

A few weeks later a young woman visited the consignment store. The clerk couldn’t help but notice that the woman was quite tiny but wearing a bulky sweatshirt. “Can I help you?”

“I hope so,” the woman said looking through a rack of dresses. “I have a fancy dinner to attend next week, and I am giving a speech. I need to find something formal but that might also cover some scars. I will be in front of a lot of people.” She was getting frustrated looking through the selection in front of her. “I had a double mastectomy last year and have some scars on my chest. I need to find something that will cover the scars but not button up to my chin”

The clerk smiled warmly at the woman. “I am so sorry to hear that, but I think I have just the dress.” 

The clerk rushed to the window and pulled the dress off the mannequin once again. If anyone needed some magic, it was this lady, the clerk thought to herself.

“I have it on good authority that this is a magical dress. The last two owners also had things they wished covered for special evenings, and this dress did the trick. Come in here and try it on,” She opened the dressing room for her and handed her the dress.

A few minutes later the woman emerged from the dressing room with tears streaming down her face. Not only had the dress been cut in such a way that all her scars were covered, but the heart shaped neckline was slightly padded, and it gave the woman the look of two nicely shaped breasts.

“You are breathtaking, my dear.” The clerk had to try hard to hold back her own tears.

“I’ll take it.” Tears were falling softly down her cheeks.

“The only way I can sell you this dress is if you promise you will donate it back to the store, after your event, for me to resell so the magic can be used for someone else.”

 “If a dress can have this much magic and cause so much happiness, I will definitely bring it back for it to continue its magic.”