Evelyn looked around at her tightly-knit group of four friends. They were all chatting happily without any sign of awkwardness, something she had only dreamed of in middle school. When there was a moment of quiet, it was comfortable, but not long. One of the friends would always have something to say, whether it was deep and philosophical or quick-witted and funny. As Evelyn took a bite of her leftover mochi donut, she remembered a question she thought of when watching a cartoon movie with her little siblings. “Guys, if you could have a wish granted overnight, what would it be?” “Ooh!!!” Evelyn’s close friend Hazel exclaimed. “That’s a good question! I think I would wish for…” She gasped and plucked Evelyn’s mochi from her hand. Hazel tore off a piece, then chewed it with relish. “I would wish for a never-ending supply of your mom’s homemade mochi donuts.” Evelyn rolled her eyes after snatching her fusion pastry back. “Then I guess I’ll wish that your never-ending supply is not my never-ending supply. Get your own donuts,” Evelyn quipped. Hazel stuck her tongue out as the group laughed. Evelyn stuffed the mochi into her mouth before Hazel could try any more shenanigans. “I have one,” offered Damion, the smiling target of relentless teasing about being the only one of the friends with a girlfriend. “And I think Delilah knows what I’m thinking of wishing.” His regular beam melted into a maniacal grin. Delilah, who had been chatting about Evelyn’s mom’s delicious mochi donuts with Cruz a moment earlier, snapped her head towards Damion. “You wouldn’t dare,” she growled, but a smirk gave her away. “Oh, I would dare,” Damion challenged. “I would wish…” “Dami, I can’t let you do this.” “I would wish…” “Nooooo! Stop!!” Delilah bounded out from her seat and ran over to Damion’s place, clasping a hand over his mouth. A smug look sweeped across her face. “Now that I’ve shut him up, I would wish for a mint-green 1957 Bel Air like the one they drove in the _Hidden Figures_ movie.” “Whoa! That’s oddly specific, Del!” Cruz chuckled, sapphire-blue eyes sparkling. “No one asked you!” Delilah joked. “What would you wish for, Cruz?” “I would wish to hear what scandalous thing Dami had to say.” “You don’t want to hear it, I promise. Do another one.” “No.” Cruz and Delilah pretended to give each other the dirtiest of glares while everyone else was rolling on the floor in a fit of hysterics. Everyone, but poor Damion, who Delilah still had captive. He snorted against her hand and she pulled back. “Eww! That’s nasty!” She squealed, wiping her fingers on her black jean-shorts. Damion cheekily cleared his throat and announced in a terrible mock British accent, “Now that I have freed myself, I shall tell you my wish.” Delilah tried to smack him, but Hazel held her back, giggling, “Del, I kinda want to see where this is going…” “I would wish for Del to realize that Star Wars is far superior to Harry Potter, no questions asked.” Evelyn stood up, “Dumbledore would destroy Luke within seconds.” Damion turned to her, “Dumbledore’s dead.” “Well, so is Luke. This is purely theoretical!” “Wait, Dumbledore’s dead?” Whispered a heart-broken Cruz, who hadn’t finished the series yet. Everyone paused, then started shouting at Damion, who was laughing manically as Cruz was being comforted by Delilah. The lunch bell rang just as Damion was about to get slapped in the face. They all made up quickly and left with smiles on their faces. Except Cruz, he was still in shock about Dumbledore. He turned to Damion. “Greedo shot first and Jar Jar Binks is my favorite character. This isn’t over.” Damion looked as though he was about to cry. Hazel and Delilah sneered as Evelyn steered Cruz towards his class. Curious, she asked him, “is Jar Jar seriously your favorite character?” He smirked, “no, but I know how to offend a Star Wars fan.”

“I wish… I wish…” “Don’t you dare say it!” His mouth fell closed. He stared, throat bobbing, I took a step back. “Don’t soften the blow, don’t pretend that any of this mattered to you.” I turned and opened the fridge pulling out a bottle of wine then bustling through the drawers for a bottle opener. “Sera can we please just-“ “NO!” The drawer slammed shut and I pulled a glass from the hanging rack pouring wine with shaky hands. Filling the glass I set it down ignoring the extra little pools now laying on the counter. The wine was cold but burned going down. I was refilling the glass only seconds later and I turned to look at him. “You should go.” “Sera…” “Go.” He sighed and grabbed his keys, I barely moved a muscle until the apartment door clicked shut behind him. I then downed the second glass and waited. When I still felt sad, I refilled one more time. After downing that third glass, the rage settled in. My bedroom door was open and I remember wanting to just set it on fire. I walked inside slowly turning in a circle in the center of the room. Everything was exactly where it had been last night when he’d seduced me. He had taken me to bed knowing he would come back and I had swallowed every bit of it without thinking twice. What happened next is hazy. There was crying and screaming along with ripping things off the walls, breaking or trashing anything he’d given me, and piling anything he’d touched or commented on into my closet by the end I was in a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top with my hair up in a bun that looked like a crows nest sitting at the foot of the bed on the floor with the bottle of remaining wine in my hand. I probably looked like a psychopath sitting in the middle of a room that looked like it’s been hit with a controlled and concentrated tornado. I was downing the last of the bottle when the apartment door opened and closed. “Hey… why’s there wine on the counter?” Dorian. I had no patience for my roommate right now. The room was spinning enough that I couldn’t easily get up if I wanted to. “Just leave it. I’ll get it later.” He stepped into my doorway, eyes widening as he took in the carnage. His gaze focused on me. “What the fuck happened.” If I wasn’t drunk I would have though he was concerned. “Nothing.” “Doesn’t look like nothing.” He walked to my side and leaned down taking the bottle out of my hands. “Was this full?” “Yes.” Squatting down, he set the bottle aside. “So what happened?” “I told you, nothing.” He waited, staring with more intensity than usual. “What the fuck do you want to hear?” I began pushing myself up trying to find enough balance to stand. “You were right about him being a douchebag. You were right, I’m an idiot. Happy?!” His arm wrapped around my waist pulling me up. I shoved at him but he held on pinning me against his chest. “I’ve never called you an idiot, but he’s one for bailing.” He let go and moved to the bed grabbing my pillow. “Come on.” “What do you mean?” “You’re not sleeping in here.” “I’m not sleeping with you!” “I’ll sleep on the couch or the floor, but you’re not sleeping in this wreckage.” I grumbled taking my pillow and walking across the hall into his room. It was dark and brooding, a total cliche, but it was clean and smelled like some sort of woodsy cologne. He pulled his pillow from the bed and tossed it on the floor before pulling a couple blankets from his closet and laying them out. “I can sleep in my own room…” All he did was frown and I bit my lip crawling under his dark gray covers and getting comfortable. He stepped out and came back with a glass of water and a trash can setting both next to me. “I’m gonna change. Drink all of this water and I’ll get you more in a minute.” “I don’t want water…” He ignored me walking towards his bathroom. I sat up taking the water in my hands. It was cool in my heated palms and I noticed the cuts from ripping posters down and the small bruises from smashing my room to bits. Drinking some I waited for the sadness to sink back in but nothing happened. All I felt was hollow and exhausted. I continued sipping at the water until Dorian came out. He’d showered and put on a pair of sweats but now shirt. I nearly choked. “Finish the rest and gimme the glass.” “You know just cause you were right doesn’t mean you get to boss me around.” Again he just waited and I sighed finishing the glass and letting him take it. He went and refilled it setting it on the side table before settling down on the floor in his makeshift bed. “Why aren’t you being an ass?” “I’ve never been the ass. You were dating the ass and I didn’t like him.” “Still, why aren’t you gloating?” “Do you want me to gloat?” I wasn’t sure what I wanted. He had been grumpy and rude ever since I moved in, but now that I thought about it, Aaron had always been around. “You can sleep up here… just keep your hands to yourself.” “Do you want me up there?” Saying no would be a lie, but I couldn’t say yes. I was grateful when he responded to my silence by getting up with his pillow and sliding under the covers. We stayed that way for a while with our backs to each other. I waited for his breathing to even out, but could feel him next to me just as awake as I was. I closed my eyes feeling the heat roll off of him and fell asleep thinking about his hands on my skin.

"I wish...I wish "Don't you dare say it." "I wish you would marry me!" "What?" "I don't care about this dumb argument. I only care about you." "I care about you too. I don't even remember what we argued about." "And I want to be with you for the rest of my life. “Will you marry me beautiful?" "Oh my goodness! Yes!"

“I wish… I wish…” I started, the fire in my eyes unmistakable. “Don’t you dare say it!” Hissed Mom, staring daggers at me. “Why?” I asked, raising my eyebrows and tightening my grip on my bag. She pauses, tears filling her eyes. “Because sometimes you really do get what you wish for.” A single tear slides down her cheek and it’s then that I realize I know what I have to do. I gulp before I make my way towards the door, looking back at my mom. Her hair is stringy and caked with oil from night after night of not showering, which meant more time for her to cry. Her brown eyes are sad as she watches me open the door. But I know what I have to do. “I wish you would disappear,” I whispered, not realizing I was crying until a tiny drop landed on my exposed foot. A few seconds passed before my mother, the woman who raised me, the woman who eternally loved me and would always love me despite this, slowly dissolved into the air. The second before she disappeared forever, her lips moved one last time. “Wait you’ll never know-“ And then she was gone.

"I wish... I wish..." she muttered, staring him down. "Don't you dare say it!" he growled back. "I wish you never existed," she cried with tears streaming down her face. "No. Please," he muttered face distorting as he's pulled backwards through a portal that had ripped its way into existence. "I'm sorry," she said, watching him disappear. As soon as he was gone and the portal closed, she crashed to the floor finally able to breath again. She was free of his control, no longer bound by her pact with the demon. Her deal with the devil had given her the man of her dreams but he quickly became the man of her nightmares. "One more wish, master," a voice said from behind her. "Just one?" she asked. "You did want me to combine his erasure with freeing you from your pact, right?" the genie asked. "Yeah. Yeah I did. I guess I just didn't realize it would still cost me two wishes," she sighed, "Do I have to make the third right now? Can I take a moment to process that he's really gone?" The genie quietly nodded and slipped back into his lamp. She walked over to the sofa, plucking the small oil lamp from the table as she passed. Several hours later, she was still sitting on the sofa staring blankly at nothing with the genie lamp cradled in her lap. "He's really gone," she breathed, letting out a slight chuckle. Her life had been a waking nightmare for the last year as all the little quirks she'd wanted and hoped for in a man grew more and more frustrating. The way he constantly wanted to know where she was due to being protective. The way his possessiveness cost her all of her friends and family. The way his love became a bargaining chip and merely transactional. But that was all gone now. She was free. Suddenly, she realized what it was she wanted for her final wish. She looked down at the little lamp and held it up. Rubbing the side, she smiled confidently as the genie appeared in front of her once again. "Yes, master?" the genie asked. "I wish to set you free, genie," she said. And with those words, the genie's restraints fell away, the lamp disappeared, and the genie became human.

It was a dreary, foggy Tuesday in January, and Kenya’s mood directly coincided with the weather outside. Kenya, at the ripe age of thirty, was simply beautiful, with her cocoa butter toned skin, golden brown sister locks, and a smile that could brighten up any room. She was single, no children, and currently working as a new graduate nurse on her “dream job” at the renowned Martinsville Medical Center, in downtown Detroit. Kenya, sat gazing out the picturesque window, while sipping on her favorite hot beverage, a steamy cup of caramel mocha cappuccino. She and Kurtis, had previously joked that this was “ their seat” as they had been frequent visitors, of this particular Starbucks. She was in deep thought, and had went to her “happy place” in her mind… but that “happy place” did not include her boyfriend of six months…Mr. Kurtis Montgomery. The newly installed, football head coach at Martinsville High School. The couple had hit another rough patch…in their budding relationship. And, Kenya had finally come to the realization, that their junction had gone as far as they could go …and she was ready to move on… **************************** “Hey there beautiful! I bet I know what you’re thinking?” Kenya, was startled to hear Kurtis’s deep, seductive voice approaching her from behind. Her initial reaction was to turn around, but she then decided to “just be cool” as she attempted to ignore him. Instead of turning to greet him, Kenya, continued her people watching, while taking in the luscious aroma of her soothing drink. Kenya had to admit… Kurtis, really was the “total package” as he truly was…tall, dark and handsome! After he reached Kenya, he began massaging her shoulders in a caressing manner, with one hand, while holding his cup of Java, in the other. Kenya quickly made a quite noticeable shrug of her shoulders… “ Oooooooh so you don’t want me to touch you!!!…I get it now!!” Kurtis calmly exclaimed, as he took his seat next to Kenya by the window in Starbucks. “Kurtis, How did you know, that I was here?” Kenya inquired. “ I guess I know you better than you thought huh? Kurtis chuckled, while glancing at his Apple Watch. “So what’s up Kenya? you haven’t been answering my calls or texts, for the last two days …and that’s not like you?” “ Kurtis it’s just that…I wish… I wish…” “ Don’t you dare say it!” Kurtis insisted interrupting Kenya’s concentration. “ I said it before, and I must say it again! I wish… I wish… I never met you!!” Kenya, began to nervously curl a few strands of her locks around her index finger, while looking quite annoyed at Kurtis, who scooted his seat over even closer to her. “ Now, why would you continue to say that?” Kurtis demanded. I know we have had our differences, but I feel like we have had some really good times also!!” He smirked, while flashing his bright smile, which included some gold teeth. “Yes!! We definitely have had some good time Kurtis!!! But!!! …what about the bad times???” Kenya demanded. looking directly at Kurtis, without cracking a smile. She then took a long sip of her cappuccino, and began to rapidly regurgitate her feelings. “What about All the “baby mama drama”, the affair, the new “baby ( I think …it’s baby number four) by another woman, that you JUST found out about?…. And, let’s not leave out, the fact that I had to find out through the grapevine, that you dated my cousin Laquita!! about a year ago, and neither of YOU had enough gumption to TELL ME!!!” Kurtis, who usually always had a come back comment…was now looking sheepishly, down at his red and black high top Jordan’s. And, was also rubbing his hands back and forth over his short hair cut vigorously. Kurtis was speechless. “So that’s why!!!! __ And those are just SOME of the reasons!! Kenya insisted, that I said, “I wish…I wish… I never met YOU!!”

I wish I wish Don’t you dare say it Oh but I will, I can’t write today. What do you mean? I can’t, I’m tired. But you are writing! It makes no sense at all Geezzz…. I’m just keeping the prompt… Oh gosh… I told you I can’t write anything proper today. Well, at least try! It doesn’t work like that. Inspiration has a will of its own. Uh…. It’s not a 9 to 6 job, you see? But you’re a writer! Sometimes writers can’t write. That’s ridiculous. Yet it happens… That’s all for today, I am so so sorry.

"I wish," I shake as tears drips down my face, "I wish-" "Don't you dare say it!" He begs as he steps closer to me. "I just wish that-" "No, please," he takes another careful step closer. "Why not?" I ask, as I hold the knife closer to my heart that it touches my shirt. "Because I love you. Please we can get through this together." "I love you too. But-" "No buts please. Just put away the knife please." His eyes are filled with tears by now. His voice starts to shake. It's the first time I've ever seen him cry. "You're the love of my life, but I'm just a burden. You'll realize it when I'm gone. You'll be hap-" "Jeannette, stop it. You don't know how much you bring me life. I know it's hard, but you could do it. You're strong. Please put the knife away." "You don't know what you're saying." "I do. I love you. And if you die, I'll go with you. I love you even if death parts us apart. I'll love you when you're gone. I'll spend the rest of my life missing you. I'll spend it begging for you to come back. Those days would be so much agony that I will die to reunite with you. So, please put it away. At least, for me?" His voice breaking as he begs. As tears stream down his face. I slowly, shakily put the knife at the sink. He immediately jumps and hugs me tight against the wall, making sure I don't do anything else and in love and worry. I break down once again, "I just wish to be in peace. I wish my problems would go away. I-" I couldn't finish my sentences without breaking down yet again. "I know. I know. I wish it would too." - Jeans

“I wish..I wish…” “Don’t you dare say it!” “Why not?” “Because then it won’t happen, dummy.” Sarah sat back from the window, where she and her sister were looking out into the cold, clear night. “How do you know everything?” “Because,” Peggy replied, “I’m older and know more stuff.” It was hard to argue with that logic, the 6-year-old girl thought. Peggy was almost 8! “If I say it in my head, it’s ok then?” “Yes,” the older sister said. “Then it’s safe. Once you actually say it into the air, the Good Luck fairies get scared and fly away somewhere else.” “Okay. Well I’m getting tired. I don’t think Santa wants to be seen anyway.” Sarah jumped from Peggy’s bed to her own. Peggy kept watching, her hands getting cold from the window sill. She waited til Sarah was asleep, which never took long, then tucked herself in. Soon, both were fast asleep. Very, very gently, the closet door opened. The Good Luck Fairy peered out into the dark. “I think it’s safe now,” Fortuna whispered, though she really didn’t need to, as their voices were so soft already. “Whew!” Sighed Penelope, flapping a dust bunny off her gossamer wing. “I thought Peggy was gonna spill the carrots!” “Beans,” Fortuna corrected. “Now let’s get going. We have a wish to fulfill.” “So excited!” Penelope squeaked. “I love this time of year, even if it is a bit stressful.”

“I wish …. I wish” “Don’t you dare say it” “I wish” “Rose no-!” “I wish for it all to end” “Rose!” and just like that The color of my happiness Is gone like the sun after a long day Leaving me alone to find company in my own tears And peace in the darkness of my own mind