The Wishing Stone By Teek © 2020

Summary: Making a wish on the Wishing Stone is a great honor. One that only ten people every hundred years gets to make. Many wishes throughout time have dramatically changed the life of the Wishee for the positive, but there are consequences to one's actions. When the youngest Wishee in history makes a life-altering wish, those around twelve-year-old Mikey must adjust to the changes.

Mike felt so uncomfortable standing on stage wearing a suit and tie. He looked out at the crowd. He could no longer deny that this really was going to happen. He was the youngest ever to get a chance to make a wish on the Wishing Stone. Being only twelve, many felt he shouldn’t be allowed the privilege. They believed no individual younger than eighteen should be given a wish. There were even those that say only people 30 and older should be allowed access to the stone. There was one fact, though, that was not disputed. Mike’s ID number was drawn in the lottery, and according to the law, that meant he was allowed the opportunity to make a wish.

“When this stone was found 300 years ago today in the Temple of the Gods,” World Leader Evans said to the crowd. “The world was divided by different countries, with competition and wars between them. The stone changed everything. Most believed it belonged to the world, not any one country. Within five years, there was world peace without one weapon fired to take possession of the stone. Some historians speculate a wish is what really brought us peace, but regardless, the World Government was formed, and we have been a united society for almost 300 years. The military was transformed into Protection Squads and Planetary Exploration. It did not take long for scientists to realize the strength of the Wishing Stone was decreasing with each wish. Limits were placed on its use. After years of debate, it was decided that every ten years, individuals ten and older would be put into a lottery, and the winner would be allowed one wish on the stone. On this 300th Anniversary, I have the honor of overseeing the first Pre-Teen making a wish.”

The crowd voiced positive and negative comments. Mike felt that some of them would probably prefer his death, rather than letting some kid waste a precious wish. Mike, however, was more scared of the stone than the crowd. From all that he had learned, a voiced wish was not always granted, but a Wishee was always given their wish. Some said the stone read the wisher’s mind, heart, and soul. It would reach inside the wisher and pull out the true desire. Most accounts from wish receivers appeared to say the stone was very good at granting True Wishes.

Mike knew his wish was strange, something only a very weird kid would want. There was no way he was going to tell anyone what he wanted, and fortunately, the law said the Wishee never had to reveal the desired wish. If it does come true, well, everyone will have to live with it whether they like it or not. Just like they had to live with Lucy’s wish 130 years ago. If it didn’t come true, he didn’t want people to use him as a way to prove kids shouldn’t be allowed to make wishes.

Mike smiled when he recalled Lucy’s wish. She was also a very controversial Wishee. She was a forty-two-year-old lady with an intellectual disability. Like Mike, many believed she shouldn’t be allowed to make a wish. But, the law was very clear. When a person’s ID number was drawn, they got to make a wish. Against protest, she made a wish. When she put her hand on the stone, she said loud and clear, “I wish I was smart.” That was not the wish granted. The stone read her heart and soul to determine her True Wish, a unicorn. About 50% of the horses in the world instantly turned into unicorns. There was even a rare species of horse that turned into alicorns, flying unicorns.

Years later, Lucy told people that since she was a little girl, she had always wanted to see a real unicorn. When she found out that she won a wish, her thoughts immediately went to those unicorns. Reporters had discovered that people had pressured her to wish for all sorts of things. Her parents and caregivers had told her to wish for a higher intellect. Lucy told the investigators that she wished to be smarter because that is what her Mom and Dad told her to do. The stone knew that was not her True Wish, so it didn’t grant that wish.

Since Lucy’s wish, the World Government created laws to prevent pressure on the individuals who win the wish. Nowadays, most people don’t believe pressure can have any influence, so few try. Well, few adults at least. Mike had several kids at school tell him what to wish for and what not to wish for. When Emery threatened Mike only to wish for what Emery wanted, Mike almost told a teacher. He didn’t, though, knowing it didn’t matter what the bully said. Mike figured he would only need to tell a grown-up if Emery tried to follow through with the “or else” after the wish.

As World Leader Evans prattled, Mike’s mind wondered. He remembered his family’s last trip to the fair when he got to ride a unicorn. Smiling at the memory, Mike realized that only happened because of someone like him who made a wish. Would the stone grant the wish he asks for, or would it ignore that and instead give him something else? Mike wasn’t sure what his True Wish was, but he certainly knew what he wanted it to be.

“Mike here is a sixth-grader at Diamond Lake Elementary School in Weetoon Province,” World Leader Evans rambled on. “He likes music and history classes. In his free time, he plays a mean game of Starball.”

The crowd applauded.

“May we have the Wishing Stone please,” World Leader Evans commanded.

Mike looked at the multi-colored sparkling stone coming out on a black pillow. He had always loved the way it sparkled in the light. When he was six, Mikey had made his own with glitter paint and a rock he had found in the backyard. Now he was inches away from the real thing. In fact, he was about to touch the real thing.

The excitement and World Leader Evans’ long speeches were getting to Mike. He mouthed to himself, “Focus Mike, the whole world is looking at you. Just a few more minutes, and this will all be over.”

“Ten people every one-hundred years get to make a wish,” World Leader Evans prattled on. “Mike here will go down in history. Quite an achievement for such a young person. Are you ready, Mike?”

Mike took a deep breath, “Yes, sir.”

“By the Freedom Accords, I must ask you one more time. Do you want to take this wish and live forever with the consequences?”

After a few wishes had not gone as the Wishee had wanted, Freedom Accords were created to allow someone to back out of the wish opportunity. This was the fourth time Mike had been asked this question.

Mike swallowed, “Yes, sir.”

“Then by the power granted upon me by the Wishing Stone Protocol of 2042, I hereby grant you one wish,” with that, World Leader Evans opened the locket around his neck and withdrew a bracelet. “Please hold out your hand.”

Mike held his right hand out, palm down, and World Leader Evans put the bracelet around Mike’s wrist, “Go ahead, Mike. Put your hand on the stone and make your wish.”

Mike looked at his wrist and the stone sitting on the pedestal between him and the World Leader. He couldn’t see the force field, but he had learned all about it in his research on the stone. The pillow the stone sat on contained a complex force field device protecting the stone. Only someone wearing the bracelet can pass through the force field. This prevented anyone from accidentally making a wish or trying to make one they didn’t earn.

Looking over at his parents and eight-year-old little sister, Mike smiled. Taking a deep breath, he put his hand out and held it just above the stone. Closing his eyes, he lowered his hand onto the stone.

Thousands of multi-colored stars erupted out of the stone, passing right through Mike’s hand like it wasn’t even there. They went above Mike and swirled around like the clouds of a hurricane. A second later, the stars went down, surrounding him from head to toe in a cylinder of swirling stars. All the audience could see were bright multi-colored lights pulsing around where Mike had been standing.

Everyone watching instantly started to panic. No living soul had seen the stone respond to a wish in this fashion. It had been almost two hundred years since the stone responded in this fashion. Back then, a bystander died when the stars finished their job and shot off in every direction, severing the building they had been in. It collapsed. Even though they were outside in a huge field, fear drove the response. In absolute terror, the audience ran as fast as they could away from the stage. The only exceptions were Mike’s family and the World Leader with his protection squad.

The World Leader was quickly escorted into a bunker next to the stage, putting him at least 12 feet below Mike. Mike’s family got down on the ground. Dad allowed them to look up but not lift their heads or body. Being only about six feet below Mike, he hoped they would be safe.

As the stars engulfed Mike, he felt his body tingling, from inside his heart to the end of every hair. He started to float up into the air as the arms stretched out to the side. His mind went all hazy. For five minutes, the stars swirled around, encompassing him in a tube. Then, they changed formation to look like a spiraling Galaxy around the waist. A second later, they shot out along the horizon in every direction. As the body lowered to the ground, consciousness returned. A female voice said, “All Wishes Granted.”

Those closest to the stage looked up when they heard the sound of the Wishing Stone bracelet hitting the wooden stage. Then there were gasps and Mom shouting out, “My Baby!”

“Medic,” World Leader Evans shouted out as he came up from the hole and saw . . . the individual standing on stage.

Out of the bunker came two medics charging up on stage to the lone individual standing in a daze.

“Do you know your name,” a medic asked?

“Milly,” the little girl on stage answered. She scrunched her eyes together and shook her head back and forth, trying to clear her thinking.

“I’m Milly,” she said with more confidence.