The Wishing Game

Rain poured down in gray sheets.  A boy of about fifteen years of age hopped over a low fence surrounding a graveyard.  He held his jacket over his head to keep from getting wet, although the water seeped through the jacket and he got wet anyway.  Kevin, the boy, was on his way home from school  and was taking his usual shortcut through Serenity Hill Cemetery. He was halfway through when something caught his eye.1

On top of a new tombstone something sparkled dimly.  Kevin stepped  through the fresh mud and picked it up.  2

It was an amulet. The amulet was as big as the palm of his hand and it reminded Kevin of an eye.  Securing the octagonal-cut black jewel were silver clasps, and it hung on a thin silver chain.  He grinned and put it around his neck.   3

The wind picked up a bit and there was a low  rumble of thunder in the distance.  Kevin looked at the angry sky for a moment.  It threatened to strike him with fierce lightening. A strange feeling came over him.  He couldn’t tell if it was a good feeling or a bad one.  Either way, he decided to hurry home. 4

The sun set quickly that night and Kevin sat on his bed, staring at the amulet on his desk.  It glimmered menacingly, enticingly.  Kevin got off his bed and put the amulet around his neck, tucking the jewel beneath his shirt before he headed towards his bedroom door.  5

When he opened his bedroom door he heard yelling.  The fur was flying between his mother and his younger brother.  Kevin rolled his eyes and stopped, leaning against his door frame, to listen to the argument. 6

“I won’t do it! You can’t make me!” Jesse, Kevin’s thirteen year old brother, protested.  7

“Oh yes I can! I am your mother and--” Jesse interrupted by plugging his ears and screeching at the top of his lungs. His mother couldn’t get a word in edgewise until she pounded her fists on the kitchen counter and shouted:8

“I WISH YOU WOULD STOP YELLING FOR A MINUTE!!” 9

Suddenly the yelling ceased.  Kevin felt a burning on his chest and found that the amulet had grown hot.  He yanked the chain and pulled the amulet out from under his shirt.  Frantically, Kevin blew on it and tried to cool it down.10

There were voices again. His mother spoke - she had calmed down enough to notice that something was wrong. 11

“Jesse?” her voice quavered with worry.  Jesse’s mouth was opening and closing like a guppy in a fishbowl, and he was flapping his arms in silent panic, looking very much like a penguin trying to fly into the air.  Kevin, still holding the smoldering amulet away from his chest, came down the stairs and watched his brother incredulously.  12

A slow minute crawled by, and there was a yelp that made everybody jump.  Jesse clapped his hands to his mouth and tears welled up in his eyes.  13

“Mom!” He rushed into his mother’s arms, and his mother brushed aside his hair.14

“What happened to you?” Kevin’s mother asked, trembling.15

“I-I couldn’t talk!  I was so scared - I thought I was suffocating.  I’m sorry, Mom!”  Jesse and his mother clung to each other and bawled.  Kevin suddenly understood.  16

The amulet had granted his mother’s wish.  He gazed at his brother and his amulet back and forth, terrified and amazed.  17

Immediately he rushed back upstairs and hung it on his bedpost.  It was still burning even though it looked no different from when Kevin found it in the graveyard.  He pondered on how serious the situation with his brother and the amulet was. Was it all just a peculiar coincidence? Something told him it wasn’t.  18

With the lights off and the moonlight streaming coldly through the departing clouds, the amulet looked like it was watching, waiting for something.  Kevin shivered. 19

“Creepy.”  He covered the amulet with a blanket, but he got the weirdest feeling that it was listening.  The silence of the night was suddenly unnerving - it was roaring in his ears.  Kevin grabbed his headphones and blared loud metal music.  He’d rather hear his loud music than hear the deafening silence.   20

Morning crept across the floorboards in pale yellow light.  Kevin’s gray eyes fluttered open.  He sat up and stretched, and looked over at his alarm clock.  It was 7:28 am. His alarm was supposed to go off in two minutes.  Lethargically, he reached over to his nightstand and clicked off his alarm before it went off.  He threw on some clothes from under his bed and was about to leave his room when something stopped him.  Kevin turned around and saw the amulet lying on his pillow.  He furrowed his brow; he could have sworn that last night he hung the amulet on his bed post.  Kevin gave a shake of his head to wake himself and was about to leave again when he felt something.  It was like someone called his name, only he didn’t so much hear it as he felt it inside.  He tried to leave again when he realized he was reluctant to turn away from the amulet.  It grinned coldly as the light danced off its black facets.  Kevin snatched it up and put it around his neck, once again tucking the jewel beneath his shirt.  21

As he shuffled to the bus stop, he contemplated taking the amulet back to its gravestone.  22

“It’s not even mine.  I shouldn’t keep it.”  He ran a hand through his blond hair, frustrated.  Kevin wanted to get rid of it, yet at the same time he wanted to keep it.  The opposing feelings tugged at his stomach, turning it like a mill wheel through mucky water.  23

The yellow school bus rolled to a stop, the breaks squealing slightly, interrupting Kevin’s thoughts.  He got on the bus and sat down in the third seat from the front.  Feeling drowsy, Kevin leaned his head against the window, closing his eyes.  He rested his hand over the amulet as he started to fall asleep, when his ears caught a whisper.  In the seat next to him was a geeky-looking boy with coke-bottle glasses hunched over a piece of paper.  He was writing hastily until the bus hit a bump and his pencil made a huge mark across the page.  The boy sighed in exasperation.24

“I wish this damn bus would stop moving so I could finish my homework!”  A second later the entire bus lurched forward in a sudden stop, throwing some people out of their seats and into the aisles. 25

“Ow! Jesus - learn how to drive, will ya?!”  one kid yelled to the bus driver.  26

“Not my fault,”  the bus driver shrugged,  “I dunno why the bus stopped.  Lemme call the terminal.”  He muttered something about the engine, but Kevin wasn’t listening.  The kids on the bus had gone into a sort of craze.  Some whooped and hollered, excited by the prospect of missing some school, and others sighed, banging their heads on the seat in impatience and aggravation.  27

Kevin ignored the pandemonium breaking out around him.  His mind was filled with wonder at the burning amulet against his chest.  What powers was this thing capable of?  28

I have the power to grant people’s wishes in my very own hands. The thought hit him, BAM!, like a car accident.  Ever since what happened to his brother the other day he knew of the power, but the realization didn’t hit him until that moment. 29

This doesn’t necessarily make it a bad thing.  I can use its power for good. Yes…for good.30

He decided he would keep the amulet.  A lot of good could come from keeping it.  Kevin had an optimistic feeling in his mind.31

But that feeling did not match the one in his heart.  32

A half an hour later another bus came by to pick up the students, to their disappointment.  Kevin arrived to school just in time for his second class.  He sat down beside his best friend, Will.  33

Kevin and Will had been friends for as long as they both could remember.  Will knew what Kevin was thinking by simply looking at his face.34

And Will could tell that the wheels were turning in Kevin‘s brain.35

“What’s up?”  Will asked.  Kevin leaned forward a little bit to hide behind the person sitting in front of him so the teacher wouldn’t see him talking during a quiz they were supposed to be taking.  36

“Nothing, really. Well, actually,” Kevin glanced shiftily from side to side, “I found something.  You won’t believe what it can do.”  A mischievous grin stretched across his face.37

“What d’you mean?” Will raised an eyebrow as he shifted his weight in the desk chair.  38

“I found this amulet,”  Kevin pulled the amulet so that just the top of it could be seen from under the shirt.  “It can grant other people’s wishes.”  Will shot a dubious look at his friend, and Kevin put a finger up, telling him to wait a second.  “Watch this.” he said.39

Kevin got up from his desk to go get a tissue.  He stood there pretending to blow his nose while trying to think of a way he could prove to Will that the amulet could grant other people’s wishes.  He looked at Will over his shoulder and saw that his friend was watching him intently.  Kevin looked helplessly out the window, watching as the rain trailed down the glass in rivulets.  40

“Pretty gloomy day, huh?”  Mrs. Zeldahoff, the teacher, looked up at Kevin from her desk.  An idea suddenly came to him.41

“Yeah.  Wouldn’t it be nice if it would stop raining?”  Kevin looked back at Will again, who was watching patiently.42

“I wish it would.  But a lot of good wishing will do me.  Sit down, Kevin.” Kevin started for his desk when he stopped to look out the window.  The rain slowed down, and suddenly stopped altogether.  The clouds dissipated and golden sunshine poured from the heavens.  Kevin drew himself up in his pride, beaming.  Will shook his head.43

“Just a coincidence,”  Will said as Kevin sat back down.  Kevin frowned.  How could it just be coincidence?  He gripped the lightly smoldering amulet, feeling insulted by his friend’s skepticism.  44

“Was not.  Weren’t you listening?”  45

“Hey man, I’m sorry, but you can’t possibly believe that a little necklace can do something like that. I mean, come on!  This isn’t a fairy tale - it’s reality.”46

“Be quiet, boys.”  Mrs. Zeldahoff peered at them over the top of her black horn-rimmed glasses.  47

Kevin felt his gut rumble.  He grew angry; his ears burned and his eyes watered.  Normally something like this would not have bothered him so greatly.  Kevin felt a building desire for revenge, and he knew how he would accomplish it.48

Three o’clock came around and the school bell rang.  Kevin braced himself for what was to come.  Around the back of the building a particular group of kids hung out, smoking.  He was afraid of them.  They were the thugs, the delinquents, the druggies, basically the all-around badasses that all kids feared.  Kevin walked up to them, his shoulders stiff.49

“Hi.” He didn’t know what else to say for a moment.  His lips refused to move and his brain refused to think straight.  The kids stopped and glared at him, saying nothing and puffing on their cigarettes.  Kevin swallowed and found his voice again.  “I need you guys to do something for me.”50

They laughed maliciously.51

“Wha’s in it fo’ us?”  the leader, a tall black kid with a wide mouth grinning coldly beneath a black hoodie, stepped forward.52

“Well, if you help me, you can have whatever you want.”  Kevin’s eyes darted left and right.  The black kid chuckled darkly.53

“Whatevuh I want?  An’ what if you can’t git me what I want?”  he crunched his knuckles together.54

“Then-then you can,” Kevin licked his lips nervously, “beat me up.”  The crowd of kids burst into uproarious laughter.  One kid was laughing so hard he pounded the wall of the building, hardly able to breathe. 55

“Heh. You got yo’self a deal.  What we gotta do?”  The delinquents crowded around Kevin, listening. 56

The next morning Will was crossing the high school parking lot when he saw, leaning against a beat up red Ford Escort, the group of thugs that usually hang around smoking at the back of the school building.  Will was wary, and so he tried to steer c lear of their general direction.  He began to sweat and tremble when they headed his way.  Will began to walk faster, his heart thudding in his ears, booming like a bass drum.  They swaggered at a surprisingly quick pace.57

Kevin watched from a classroom window on the second floor.  The thugs surrounded Will, and Will looked around desperately.  He found Kevin’s eyes in the window and silently pleaded for help.  Kevin, to Will’s dismay, continued to watch as if he didn’t see anything happening out of the ordinary.  The group of delinquents started to beat on Will all at once.  Will tried his best to fight them off, but he was outnumbered, and was not strong enough.  After they were done beating on him, they took him to the flag pole and hung him on a hook by his shirt.  If that wasn’t bad enough, they pulled his pants down to his ankles before walking away, leaving him for all the arriving students to ogle at.  His eye was so puffy it was closed shut, and his nose was bleeding.  Will also had multiple bruises all over his body.58

And he had a bruise on his heart.  His best friend had turned on him, and friends don’t do that to each other.  A tear trickled down his bruised cheek.59

Kevin smirked, feeling glorious, basking in the newfound power he had over people.  A few minutes later the group of thugs sauntered into the empty classroom.60

“So?”  The black kid crossed his arms.61

“Make a wish.”  Kevin crossed his arms likewise.62

“What?”  The black kid leaned forward as if he didn’t hear what he had said.63

“I said make a wish.  If you want me to give you whatever you want you have to make a wish.”  Kevin sneered.  The black kid didn’t like the sound or the look of Kevin.  The boy had grown an ego the size of Mount Everest within a day.  Something  about Kevin also scared him.  64

He could sense the thug’s fear.65

“I wish I had a million dollars,”  mumbled the black kid.66

“Oh how original.”  Kevin spat, rolling his eyes, and before his feet appeared a duffel bag filled with c-notes.  The black kid bent low, keeping as much distance in between him and Kevin as he possibly could.  As soon as his hand gripped the bag handle, he snatched it up.  67

“You real creepy, y’know that?”   The black kid took a few steps backwards, and then dashed out of the room.  His cronies followed close behind.  They never wanted to have to deal with Kevin again.  68

Kevin let the amulet chain play against his fingers, letting it slide in between like water.  He took the jewel out from under his shirt and stared at it admiringly.  It was so cold and beautiful.  Placing the amulet back in his shirt, Kevin left the room and headed to class.69

He was riled up and was looking for ways to get more people to make wishes. 70

Now this is entertainment! Kevin sniggered, spotting his next target.71

His next target was a girl sitting in the back of the classroom.  She was a loner and tended to act jaded.  Her name was Erin, and she always got into fights with the popular girls, especially one in particular.  Kevin watched as the blood simmered in her eyes as Cady, a snobby girl with long blond hair, sashayed into the room.  Kevin sat next to Erin, remaining silent for a few moments.72

“Why are you sitting here?”  Erin wrinkled her nose at Kevin.73

“Just thinking’.”  74

“About…?”   75

“About how annoying Cady is.  She thinks she’s so perfect.”  scoffed Kevin.76

“Psh yeah. You know, she would be nothing without her hair.”77

“What do you mean?”  Kevin leaned back in his chair.78

“Well, think about it: All those popular girls care about is appearance.  They are very shallow.  She would lose her status as beauty queen if she were bald.” 79

“So,”  the corner of Kevin’s mouth raised in a tiny half-smile, “what exactly are you saying?” He leaned close to her, only a couple inches from her face.80

“I’m saying that I wish for once she’d have a really bad hair day.  Hell, I wish she were bald!” 81

Cady glanced over in Erin’s direction, turning her nose up at her.  She instinctively smoothed her hand over her hair and stopped when she felt a cold spot on her head.  The place where she had run her hand had no hair!  She shrieked, running her hands through it in disbelief.  Kevin howled with laughter as a bald Cady sobbed uncontrollably.  The other kids soon joined in with the laughter, jeering and pointing and calling her names.  It was too much for Kevin.  Tears from laughing too hard flowed from his eyes as he got up to leave the room.82

He never thought he could have so much fun with the amulet.  He wanted to play more of this wishing game.  It fascinated him.  There were no rules - and he was always the winner.  83

“It’s over!  You need to move on.”  Kevin halted his steps and listened.  Around the corner of the hallway a girl and boy were arguing.  84

“But I love you!  Why are you doing this to me?”  The girl ignored the boy’s inquiry and stomped off to her class.  Kevin could hear heavy weeping.   Oh man! This is too good to be true!  He laughed silently and rubbed the palms of his hands together before nonchalantly turning the corner.  When Kevin was in view, the boy quickly wiped away his tears and pretended to be interested in a piece of gum stuck to the wall.85

“Hi there.”  Kevin paused and pretended to be concerned, “Are you okay?”86

“No, and I’d rather not talk about it.”  Okay, he wasn’t going to get anywhere with this approach, so Kevin tried a different one.87

“Well, to be honest, I heard some of your argument.  Was that girl your girlfriend?”  The boy was in such a vulnerable state that he flung his arms around Kevin and heaved and sobbed on his shoulder.  Kevin patted his back, feeling a bit awkward.88

“Yes, sh-sh-she was,”  said the boy in between hiccups, “She l-left me for some other - some - some--”  he couldn’t finish his sentence, and he just slobbered and blubbered all over Kevin.89

“Dude.  Chill for a second.”  Kevin pushed the boy away from him at arm’s length, annoyed by the drippy nonsense.  The boy stopped crying but his shoulders still shook from his sorrow.  “If you could do anything right now, what would you do?”90

“I’d make her understand how this feels.”  He wiped his nose with a hand, sniffling.91

“And how would you do that?”  Kevin still held the kid at arm’s length for fear that he’d end up as a snot rag again.92

“She has no idea how this feels!  It feels like someone is taking my heart, slowly ripping it out while sticking pins through it!”  The kid was going into hysterics.  In his eyes pooled anger and pain, and Kevin started to feel afraid.  He didn’t want the boy to say what he was going to say next.  He put his hand up to shush him when the kid slapped it away.  “NO!  You’ve got me talking now and I want to finish!  I wish she could feel this pain!  I wish she could have her heart slowly ripped out, and have pins stuck through!!”  The boy collapsed onto the floor, a sniveling mess.  Kevin backed against the wall, shaking.93

A blood curdling scream pierced the air, and he knew immediately where it was coming from and what was happening.  Classroom doors burst open and teachers rushed to the source of the scream.  A crowd surrounded the girl on the ground, and the sight was so horrific that a couple of students fainted.  94

The wishing game wasn’t so fun anymore.  Kevin wanted to throw the amulet away.  He didn’t mean for anyone to die.  It wasn’t supposed to happen!  That stupid kid - it was all his fault.  If he hadn’t been such an easy target than perhaps Kevin wouldn’t have been tempted.  95

Kevin ran down the hall, his hands over his eyes.  He kept running, running blindly.  A cold pit formed in his stomach and his palms were clammy.  Thud, thud thud, thud!  His heart slammed in his throat, making it difficult to breathe.  96

“Why?  Why?”  Kevin kept asking himself, over and over.  All of a sudden he ran into something solid.  Kevin fell onto his back and looked up to see what he had run into.97

It was Will.  Will pressed his lips together in a tight line, and he clenched his fists into tight balls of fury.  98

“Will!  Will - I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to!”  Kevin didn’t know exactly what he was apologizing for.99

“Shut up.  I don’t want to hear your lies.  What you did was unforgivable!”  Will smashed his fist into Kevin’s face.  Pain splintered like hot pokers throughout his face.  All he could see for a moment was an excruciatingly bright white light.  100

“Damnit, Will!  I said I was sorry!”  they both paused for a moment.  “Make a wish.  Make it all go away.”  Kevin didn’t know why he said that.  All he knew was that he wanted Will to forgive him.101

“You can’t just make everything go away.  Life doesn’t work that way!” 102

“Just make a wish.  I won’t listen to it if that helps.  I’ll cover my ears.”  Kevin covered his ears and started to hum loudly.  He knew Will was yelling at him to stop, and after a few minutes Will stopped yelling.  “Did you make a wish?”  Kevin dropped his arms to his sides.103

“Yes.”  104

“Well…nothing happened.”  Kevin looked around, confused.105

“Guess it doesn’t work, then.”  Will’s words cut like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.  106

“What do you mean?  It always works!  What was your wish?”  Will ignored Kevin and left the building.107

Will was halfway through the parking lot when he realized Kevin was still following him.  He turned to look at him.108

“What was your wish?!”  Kevin was frantic.109

Will whirled all the way around, and Kevin stopped, waiting for him to say something.  Suddenly there was a squeal of tires coming from the west.  Kevin looked across the parking lot, and the last thing he saw was a bright pair of headlights.110

Rain cascaded down the black umbrella.  A few mourners came to the funeral, throwing  half-dead flowers onto the gravestone.  Next to the half-dead flowers rested a black octagonal-cut amulet.  It hummed a discordant melody, the odd notes fading into the angry sky.111

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