A wish has a number of rules, the most important of them?.....You cannot wish for more wishes.
Another?... You cannot wish someone back from the dead.
It doesn't matter because wishes aren't real right?
Or so I thought.
My heart raced, pounding against my chest as I watched the priest announce them as husband and wife.
How could he do this to me?
He promised it was going to just the two of us after my mother died. Two years later he met Melody and he broke his promise.
Not only did I have to deal with having a step mother, I had to share my father's love with her two children, Jamie and Jacob, twelve year old twins.
I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up with the tears flowing freely now, I ran out.
I hated everything about it. How Jamie talked non stop about being excited to finally have a sister, how Jacob never cleaned up after himself. How my father had taken down the large picture frame of my mother.
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Not realizing how far I had gone, I looked around. The ground was covered with overgrown plants. It was pretty empty with the exception of a well in the middle. The well was covered, a weird symbol designed on it.
I collapsed crying against the well. At least I couldn't fall in. The buttons on the dress I wore felt so constricting so I angrily pulled at them.
Whoever had made my dress must have taken extra time sewing in the buttons because I only managed to pull one out.
In my state of anger, I threw it and it fell on the well cover.
Suddenly there was a glint in the sky.
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The cover of the well opened, then a booming voice spoke from inside of it.
"You have used a button, you have only two left. What would you like to wish for?"
I screamed falling backwards.
"What would you like to wish for?", The well repeated.
With caution I peeped inside, "Helloooo. Is anyone stuck in there? Do you need help?" I screamed into it.
"I am a wishing well. What would you like to wish for?"
"Hold on. Can you actually grant wishes?"
"Yes."
"Okay I wish-"
"Be careful what you wish for. It will come true."
I looked down at my dress.
"I wish my father had never met Melody."
"As you have wished it."
There was a glint in the sky. Then nothing.
I didn't feel any magical air gush through me. I looked down at my clothes, realizing that I was no longer in the dress. I smiled.
"Oh my god. Thank you. Thank you."
I rushed home. On getting there, I was met with a scene.
There were a bunch of people in front of my house taking all our things.
I went to one of them looking confused, "Hey. What are you doing? Those things belong to us."
The man looked down at me with pity, "I'm sorry Kid. Your Dad couldn't pay up."
"Pay up? What are you talking about?"
"I'm just doing my job. Your Dad is inside. Maybe you should go talk to him."
The man didn't need to tell me twice. Immediately I entered, the stench of alcohol hit my nose.
My father sat on the only piece of furniture we had left with a bottle in his hand.
"Layla, you are home. How was your day?" He slurred.
What was happening? I glanced at my father one last time before running back to the well.
"Hey" I yelled, "You didn't grant my wish."
There was no reply.
"Can you hear me?"
Realizing what I needed, I threw in another button.
"I granted your wish."
"No you didn't."
"Your mother's death hurt your father more than you had imagined. His life was spiraling. When he met Melody, she helped him piece it all together. When you wished her away, your father never got his life back on track."
"Would you like to use your next wish?"
I threw in another button, "No. I would like to use my last two wishes. I wish my father got his life back together without Melody's help and his company grew so we would never be poor."
"As you have wished it."
I went back to my house and a gasp escaped my lips. It wasn't a house anymore. I lived in a mansion.
I tried to enter but the security man wouldn't let me in.
"What are you doing? Let me in. I want to see my Dad."
"I'm sorry Miss Layla but your father asked me not to let you in until he is done with his meeting."
The security man's phone rang, and he handed it to me.
My father spoke from the other side of the line, his voice cold, "Layla. I told you not to come home today. I have a very important meeting with some clients and lately all you do is disappoint me and mess things up. I'm very sure your mother would be ashamed."
I froze just as the call ended.
I turned around, walking away. With tears in my eyes, I didn't watch where I was going and I walked right into someone.
I raised my head, "Jamie!!!.. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you."
I hugged her tight.
"I'm sorry but who are you?", She asked me.
Just then Melody walked up to us. I left Jamie throwing my hands around her.
"Miss. I need you to let me go before I call the police."
"It's me. It's Layla."
Melody glared at me before grabbing Jamie's hand and walking away. I heard her mutter, "Teenagers and drugs."
What have I done? I rushed back to the wishing well. I quickly threw in a button.
"I am sorry but you have no wishes left."
"No No No No. Please you have to help me. I wish things were the way they were. Please, I'm sorry. I take it all back."
I collapsed against the well crying but I never got another reply.
Night fell making me drag myself back home. My vision was blurry as I opened the door.
Someone jumped on me, making us tumble to the ground.
"Layla!!", Jamie exclaimed, "You missed all the wedding cake."
My eyes widened. I looked around. Everything was just how it was before I made the wishes.
I hugged Jamie back.
"Jamie. I missed you." She looked at me surprised.
I walked past Jacob who was surrounded by empty snack packets and I smiled.
My Dad and Melody were in the kitchen.
"Layla. I didn't see you after the wedding."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Dad." I hugged him crying.
I turned to Melody pulling her in for a hug. She looked surprised but she hugged me back.
"I'm so glad my Dad met you."
"Me too." She whispered.
That night as I stared out my window, I realized that I had everything I could have wished for. I had another chance to have a mother. I had a family.
I looked and whispered, "Thank you."
The sky glinted.