I breathed in the crisp, warm summer air. These nights were the best for clearing your head after a hard day. As I walked I took note of the eerily quiet of the town around me, it was always quiet at night, but this was a different quiet. There were no animals or bugs. Just silence.

I took a few more steps before something fell at my feet. Cautiously, I bent down and picked it up. It appeared to be a book of some sort. I looked up to try to see where it fell from, there was nothing there, but it couldn't have just fallen from the sky, right?

I studied the strange book for a moment, it had a leather cover and looked very old. The pages were blank. I stood up and looked around trying to see if maybe someone was nearby but there was nobody there except me. Confused I placed the strange book in my bag and decided to head home.

I sat at my desk staring blankly at this mysterious book for hours trying to figure out what it was and why it just seemingly fell from the sky. I opened the book and started at the blank pages, all of a sudden as if planned just for me, words started forming on the pages.

“What the-” I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Words were forming right before my eyes, like magic. This was something straight out of a movie. I looked around, almost expecting to see hidden cameras or something revealing a crazy joke, but nothing. This was happening. I read the pages;

If you are reading this, the book has chosen you. In this journal, you may write your wishes for yourself or others, but be forewarned, for what you write may come with unforeseen consequences. If you wish to relinquish the journal, you may simply place it back at the location in which you found it, and it will choose someone else.

“Wishes? Like a genie?” I felt stupid as the words left my lips.

This book would grant my wishes. Any wishes, there were no rules. I could write anything I wanted. Or I could not. I could put the book back where I found it and never look back. Nothing in this world was free, certainly I wouldn't be able to just wish for anything with no repercussions. After all, the book did say there may be consequences to the wishes. Was it worth it? I needed to think. I left the journal safely on my desk and decided to start fresh in the morning.

The next morning I picked the journal up and checked the pages, partly to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and partly to make sure I had read it correctly. It was all there, as clear as day. It was mine now and I decided I was going to use it. Part of me didn't even truly believe it would even work, but a bigger part of me wanted to at least give it a shot.

I picked up my pen and flipped to a blank page. I needed to be mindful of my wording since I wasn't sure about the consequences of my wishes. I wasn't sure what to wish for, so I started with something simple. I started writing and the words just started flowing, it was like this journal was made for me. I stared at the page after I finished writing just waiting for something to happen. Maybe it wasn't instant? I put the journal back in my desk drawer and tried to start my day. I guess I would wait and see what happens.

I headed toward a small diner I went to every morning for coffee, as thoughts of the journal raced around in my head. That's when I saw it, sitting on the bar of the diner, folded three times and placed under a salt shaker was a fifty dollar bill. I picked it up and raced back to my apartment grabbing the journal and flipping to the page I had written on. It was right there in my handwriting;

I wish to find a fifty-dollar bill at Wolf Pack Diner, neatly folded three times and placed under a salt shaker on the bar.

It happened exactly as I had written it. I couldn't believe it. I tucked the journal into my bag and left my apartment again. My wish worked, but what else could I wish for? I was lost in my thoughts as I crossed the street, not seeing the car coming, it swerved to miss me and plowed right into another person waiting at the crosswalk. They fell instantly to the ground. People rushed to the scene but it was too late.

I stood there frozen in disbelief. The word consequences popped up in my mind. Was this because of the wish? Did I cause this? I shook my head. There was no way, it was just a freak coincidence, it had to be, but I needed to find out for sure. I slipped down a small alleyway and pulled out the journal. I remembered hearing a story on the news a few days ago about someone who had recently robbed a store and made off with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. They were still looking for them. I started writing;

I wish for the person who robbed that store I saw on the news to immediately go to the police department and turn themselves in, also bringing with them the merchandise they stole and handing it over.

I closed the journal and headed back to the diner to watch the news to see if my wish came true. No sooner than I arrived the story went live, the news announcer was telling the miraculous story about how a man had just walked into the police station carrying stolen merchandise and turned himself in for the crime. The journal worked again. But, like before it came with a price.

Almost right on cue, the diner owner let out a sudden gasp grabbing his chest, and fell to the ground, dead from a heart attack. My wish, although intended to help, had caused harm and death to innocent people. The consequence the journal had warned me about, was an innocent life for each wish I made.

I sat there staring at the journal, was it worth it? Killing innocent people just to get what I want? Even if it was used for good. Would the good deed outweigh the price of an innocent life?