Storm

 I was walking through a thunderstorm and the rain was soaking me as I did. I was out enjoying the sunshine one minute then bang the sky began to darken and the clouds folded in on one another as they became blacker and blacker. I knew I was going to get stuck in the rain but kept on walking never slowing or stopping in the hope I could out run the storm that was gathering around me. 

I was trying to make it home before the storm arrived but was caught out and found myself walking through torrential rain as I continued to fight the bad weather as I continued to head home to the safety and shelter it would afford me. I was driven to make my journey through the storm so I didn’t get caught up in it any longer than I had to be. 

Suddenly, a cloud shifted and a beam of sunlight shone down upon me as the rain ceased for a few moments making me smile as the light made me glow and the heat from the sun dried me for a few minutes reprieve. I was able to experience the weather at its best and worst and enjoyed feeling the warmth it provided me. 

Then it closed back up and the rain came again as I rushed to get to the safety of my house. I was now cold and wet again but I knew that at any moment I could find myself bathed in that beautiful light and feel the heat as the sun warmed my skin. 

Sometimes we face a storm but in order to get through it you have to keep going and not stop to try and avoid it.

The Wish

 It was a grey miserable day. The clouds were dark and thick in the sky, heavy with water. The air was cold and wet making everyone caught inside it freeze. It was about to pour you could tell and I decided I would go into an antique shop to avoid the rain. 

I was just in time I walked into the shop as the heavens opened and rain slammed down hard on the floor. Splatters specked the window and lightning was followed by thunder as the wind began to howl. I was glad I’d made it to shelter and decided I should browse the shops wares while I waited out the storm. The news had said they would be brief showers so I wasn’t expecting to stay long in the shop. 

I turned away from the door and was amazed by the sight of hundreds of knickknacks and antiques stored within the vault of the shop. My eyes gazed over the piles and I thought to myself would any of these items really sell as it seemed to be a lot of outdated stock and less antique. It in my words was junk but something caught my eye. It was a beautiful gold lamp laying on a shelf disregarded like the rest of the items.

It was a plain beauty but the markings etched on it were beautifully carved in and it looked like the kind of lamp you’d  expect a genie to appear from. 

I walked over to it and looked closer it was more beautiful up close and sparkled in the shops light. I reached out to touch it and felt the air buzz with excitement. As my hand touched the smooth cold lamp handle to lift it for inspection a sense of wonder coursed through me. I wanted to pretend I was Aladdin as it took me back to my youth and so I rubbed it. Seconds later a genie appeared and I nearly fainted. I must be delusional I thought but I reached out to touch him and he was real.

“Hello Master!” He said in a deep voice. “How May I serve you?”

I was shocked to silence not knowing what to say. I just gawped at him as he waited for my response. 

After a few more seconds I said, “is this real? Are you a real genie?”

To which he replied, “Yes!” 

I sat there flummoxed and said I needed more time at which he disappeared back into the lamp. I grabbed it and took it to the counter and inquired how much was it and the shop attendant told me it was £100 for the lamp. I bought it and went to the door forgetting the storm but as I reached it the sky brightened and rain stopped. ‘It must be my lucky day’ I thought. 

That night I sat thinking what wish I should make and trying to justify it to myself. I didn’t know whether it would work or not but I decided on the wish I wanted to go with. 

I rubbed the lamp and out came the genie.

“Yes Master!” It said to me. 

“I wish that all my friends and family including myself will always have lots of money to live on and that we can use this to help fund charities and organisations to help people living in hardship.” I replied.

“Yes Master! Your wish is granted. You have two more wishes remaining and that was a very detailed wish.” He uttered. 

This I knew as I’d heard genies could be devious with wishes and wanted it to be clear and specific with no leeway for mischief. I knew I had to think carefully about what I wanted to wish for and make sure they were trickster proof.

“Yes I wanted to be as precise as I could to ensure my wish came true and would benefit everyone.” 

What I didn’t think about was what my friends and family would say when they found the large sum of money in their account or what the fraud team at the banks would do. I had managed to mess up my first wish without thinking I had. This I would find out later when I had calls from family and the bank about this issue. 

I was happy with my wish at that moment knowing I’d looked after friends and family and charities. I was beaming and I thanked the genie who disappeared again. 

As I went about my business I had no idea the trouble I’d got everyone into not to mention the fact the charities had received huge payments too as part of the wish. I was oblivious until I checked my bank and saw I was now a millionaire “Whoopy!” I screamed and people stared at me as I did. I withdrew £100 and went to treat myself to a MacDonalds. As I did, I walked past a homeless man and thought I’d give him £20 as I had the money now to do so. 

I felt amazing and enjoyed my breakfast. That’s where it started to go wrong. My sister called me which was unusual at this time she normally called in the evening. 

“I don’t know what to do,” she said in fear.

“Why? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I have loads of money in my account and I don’t know where it’s from. The bank don’t either and the fraud squat have had to contact the police to look in to it.” She told me.

How stupid I was not to think about how the money got there. What an idiot! I didn’t know what to say but if it happened to her the same would probably happen to me so I’d need to correct it with the genie after the call.

“Don’t worry I’m sure there’s a good explanation. Perhaps you have won a lottery or received a bank payment in your favour like monopoly.” I said in jest.

“I’m worried the police will think I’ve stolen or embezzled it from work. I don’t know where it’s come from I swear but it’s going to cause a lot of problems.” She told me.

“Just wait and see what happens I’m sure it'll be fine.” I replied.

“I hope so!” She said. 

She hung up and I ran back to the house to change the wish. As I ran I thought about how best to adapt the wish to ensure no problems were faced by my family and friends. I thought about where the money came from and decided I would make a wish that my family and friends had won different lotteries that I had entered them in as a birthday and Christmas present. 

When I got home I grabbed the lamp and rubbed it once more to bring out the genie. “Yes Master,” he said.

“I wish for the money that has been awarded to my family to come from various lotteries I have entered them into as Christmas and birthday presents. I wish for it to be traceable to a source that will not need to be investigated by anyone.” 

“Very well sir, your wish is granted.” and with that he disappeared back into his lamp. 

That night my sister called and thanked me for entering her into a lottery draw that had won her the money. She told me it was all traceable and that she had no fears of being investigated for fraud. My other family and friends also rang me to thank me for their win. 

I was happy to have helped them all with their finances in a safe way and was proud that I had made my wish better by providing a source for the money that was won. 

The Rain

 It came after a long week of sunshine. The rain poured down from the blackened sky. The rain had finally reached us and was now cleansing the world from all its dirt and grime. The sound of each drop hitting the ground was like a crackling roast. 

We were caught in a storm that swallowed the sky and spat on everyone below. It was remarkable how wet the day was and it didn’t look or sound like stopping anytime soon. We waited under cover for it to subside but it tumbled on with lightning and thunder being added to the mix.

Then I decided to walk into it and start dancing to make my mum laugh, which she did with gusto. I made a wish that day to always find a moment to laugh when it seemed overwhelming and I have been doing so ever since. 

The Wish

 

The Wish – Alex and the waterfall

Destitute and Dangerous, crumbling, and chaotic, the city had turned into a hard, harsh, and ugly place for its inhabitants to live. The dust lined streets showed it was uncared for. Every structure either natural or manufactured, covered in black soot from the volume of traffic that passed them.

People wheezed and coughed as they went about their business not caring about anything around them. It was a place devoid of love, beauty, warmth, or emotion that indicated an empathic resonance to it. There were very few trees and the only green seen were the weeds that grew between the hard, dusty streets and the poor excuse for soil.

The air was hard and gritty, and it tasted like a desert was entering your mouth if you did not cover it when you breathed. Food was scarce and people were thin, mean, and nasty. They had to wear copious layers of cloth to ensure that they could manoeuvre around the city safely. Without the safety clothes the only passage available conducted through the old, reused tunnels of the ancient metro line and electrical tunnels.

Alex had lived here all his life and had grown to resemble the city – tough, harsh, and mean. He had suffered at its hands and the hands of the citizens and survived the ordeal still clinging to the hope that one day he might be able to save the dying world from its inevitable doom. Suddenly, the floor gave way and he found himself falling down a strange Shute.

Fear gripped him and his mouth went dry, and his breathing became more frantic. Lights illuminated the scene, and a sense of calm and tranquillity overcame him. As a bright waterfall cascaded from the ceiling throwing the cavern into an explosion of colour danced before his eyes. As his skin felt the waterfall a beautiful angelic voice spoke to him. “Welcome Alex!” It spoke to him in a soothing and empathetic tone. He felt he should be afraid, but he was not. There was no malice in the voice, and it was evident that the owner sought to converse in a peaceful manner.

A smile crept onto his face, “Who are you? Why are you here?” Two amazingly simple questions but ones that would have far reaching consequences. 

“I am the Water Wish,” the voice said, “and I have waited a long time for you Alex.”

“Alex, what is your wish? Think hard and think carefully. Word it well and you can save the world. Word it wrong and we will all perish. Only you have a chance to save this world.”

“I wish for the world to be a place of beauty for plants, animals and humans to live in peaceful co-existence relying on each to heal this broken sphere.”

The next morning, Alex woke in a soft comfortable banana skin sleeping bag. He unpeeled it to get out and suddenly realized what he had done. As his eyes adjusted to the scene before him, he realized his wish had come true and the world was a changed place. Gone was the harsh ugly city in its place stood a metropolis of trees and vegetation. People stared in awe at the beauty around them the babbling brook, the fresh air the sapphire sky. Vehicles were outdated and forgotten by animals and plants, each living in perfect coexistence. His wish had come true and every heart in the world had changed for the better!