Careful What You Wish For

I walked the path I had always walked; nothing had changed in this path. I was the one that changed. My life seemed to have started and ended on this path leading to the forest. Nothing was exactly special about this path, but what it led to. That was special and it was mine.
It was just a regular day in February. I was walking on the path I always walked to get to my home. I kicked some gravel underneath my toes as I allowed my mind to wander off. School had been rough, that one boy Christine wouldn’t stop bothering me. He was rude and I hated it. As I thought of my burning hatred for that boy the pebble I kicked flew off into the bushes. It hit something with a sold crack. I didn’t know what type of hard mass could of made the pebble stop so I investigated.
I pushed the foliage away to reveal an old well. The well had moss growing on its side and was made of a stone with a grayish tint. I had never seen anything like it except for in fairy tales. As I looked into the well, my breath caught in my throat. There was no end. It was just a dark abyss of nothing. I leaned in and whispered Hello. The sound echoed through out the well until it was to soft for me to hear. I quickly texted my mother that I was going to take a hike so I might be late to the house, but in reality I just wanted to discover more about this well. I sat at the edge of it my feet dangling over the darkness. I wasn’t afraid I knew in my gut that I wouldn’t fall in. As I dangled my feet my mind started to wander again but this time it was not about school, no it was about the mystery that this well could contain. My mind went to what wells symbolized in the tales I had read when I was a child; wishes. My mind started to swirl with all the possibilities of things I could wish for. I would obviously wish to be rich, and be in love but I had no idea what my third wish would be. I sat on the stones for awhile longer until something sharp and hot seared across my hand. I screamed and retracted my hand as I stared in horror at what happened to my usual pale luscious skin. On my palm was a number three, it was red and already starting to scab. I touched it gently and winced as a sharp pain went up my back.
“Mother Trucker” I cursed and cradled my hand. I jumped from the well and looked around trying to see if anything wad behind me. In the back of my mind I knew I should be wondering about what the three meant but I was to freaked out to care. As I stared at my hand I started to feel prickles on my neck as if someone was staring at me. I turned around expecting to see a man with a brand of the number three. Of course, no one was there: I was imagining it. Mother always agreed I had an overactive imagination. I pulled my jacket over my thin body as the wind picked up. I gasped when I saw the time. It was already dinner time! Mother must be scared and wondering where I am. I started down the path deeper into the forest.
“God I wish I didn’t have to go this way” I muttered but hiked up my backpack and strolled.
For about five minutes everything was normal until I felt it. The searing pain in my hand again. I screamed in pure agony as my hand lit up, slowly the number turned to two. I stared in awe. I was about to touch it, when a bright flash of light stunned me. When my eyes got used to the now light area I realized I was in front of my house. I was stunned as I looked back to the forest. How did I walk that and why did the number change to two. That’s when it connected and I felt quite stupid. Wishing—Wishing Well! I had my own private pool of wishes. Well I guess only two wishes now, stupid me! I wasted a wish to go home. I looked at my hand and much to my dis may black tendrils were starting to reach up my arm. It must be because of the magic, couldn’t cause me any harm.

I had finished dinner and told my mother I was going to a friends house for the night, but I was actually going to be going to the well and sleep near it. I wanted to be as close as I could to my well. If someone would find it and steal my wishes. My mind flashed red thinking about that. My fists clenched and I screamed into the night sky. That couldn’t happen this was mine! All mine! I ran to the well to see that it had been untouched, good, I would kill anyone who was trying to take my wishes away from me! As I sat in the meadow looking at the well I felt those eyes on me again. I moved my head quickly trying to pin point where they were coming from. Nothing was there just the twigs moving in the wind.

As time moved on, I started to feel drowsy. I pulled the blanket I brought from home over me and snuggled into it taking deep breaths. After tossing and turning on the grass I finally fell asleep. I dreamt of nothing of importance but I was woken with a start. My eyes flashed open and standing above me was a demon from hell. He had a black mass of a body with red lines making appearances whenever he moved. He sneered down at me and growled. I screamed and crawled backwards then ran. I ran deep into the forest trying to lose him. I knew he was fast and that I couldn’t lose him because his loud foot steps followed me where ever I went. The ground shook with each step he made, launching himself closer to me. Silently sobs made my body quiver and shake. I was getting out of breath but the demon was not. I saw my chance. A low hanging branch. I grabbed it and swung my body up onto the branch. The demon raced under then turned around staring right into my eyes. He slowly walked up and started to speak in an ancient language that had been long forgotten over time.
“You are the one! You stole my wishes! They are rightfully yours now! But oh! What a mistake you have made. For if you use the wishes you will die the most painful death, but if you do not use the wishes you are cursed to walk this path for eternity!” He cackled in his language that translated automatically in my mind.
I stared at him as if to see if he was joking or not. I was just trying to kid myself. He was telling the truth.
“The marks on your arms will grow with every wish…But be warned if you do not make your wishes you will go insane. Your mind will turn to gush” He hissed and then vanished into he smoke.

So here I am today walking the path. The path I had always walked. The path I still walk today. But if you walk on my path, you are here to steal my wishes: you will go where everyone else goes who tries to steal my wishes. If you want my wishes then its only right that I drop you into my wishing well, besides that’s what you wanted correct?