Be Careful What You Wish For - Tina Cyr
1110 Words
The moonlight spilled onto the highway, casting the world in a monochrome palette. The distant hum of the concert they had just left seemed like a far-off dream. Ethan’s fingers tapped against the car’s steering wheel, following the rhythm of a song still echoing in his head. Beside him, Sarah leaned against the window, her reflection ghostly in the dim light.
“I wish we could just find a place to crash,” she murmured, eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of hope.
Ethan squeezed her hand gently. “I know, love.”
In the distance, the faint silhouette of a dilapidated building emerged. A creaky sign swung in the slight breeze: “Norma’s Motel.” The whole place emanated an eerie atmosphere.
The once-bright paint was peeling, and the windows seemed to hide secrets within their grime-covered panes.
“It looks... haunted,” Sarah whispered.
Ethan gave her a tired smile. “Just for one night, we’ll be fine.”
As they approached Norma’s Motel, a cold gust of wind made the surrounding trees rustle ominously.
Entering one of the rooms, the door creaked open with an unsettling eeriness, revealing an interior trapped in a bygone era.
˜˜˜˜˜˜
Sarah explored it using her cell phone as a flashlight. Beneath layers of grime and dust, she could make out the form of an ornate lamp. A little chuckle escaped her lips as she looked at Ethan. “What do you think? Finders keepers?”
Ethan grinned. “What if it’s one of those genie lamps? Give it a rub. Maybe we’ll get three wishes.”
She played along, holding the lamp in her palm and rubbing it dramatically. They laughed at the absurdity but stopped quickly when a thick, black smoke billowed from the lamp.
The room became ice cold. As the smoke cleared, it formed into a towering obsidian figure.
“I am at your service,” the figure boomed, echoing throughout the room. “Three wishes you shall have.”
Ethan and Sarah exchanged skeptical glances, an uneasy tension thickening the air between them. With a faltering bravado, Ethan whispered, "Is this some trick?"
The genie tilted its head, a sly grin forming. “It is not a trick, young one. But be warned, desires can often lead to unintended consequences.”
Sarah hesitated, looking into Ethan’s eyes.
Ethan watched her, trying to discern her thoughts. “What are you thinking?” he asked cautiously.
˜˜˜˜˜˜
Taking a deep breath, Sarah whispered, “I wish... to be the most gorgeous woman in our group.”
The genie’s penetrating eyes fixed on Sarah, “Are you certain of your wish?”
Sarah hesitated momentarily, her gaze shifting between Ethan and the genie. Then, with a newfound determination, she said, “Yes, I’m sure.”
The genie raised its hand, and a soft, ethereal light enveloped Sarah. As the light faded, the genie receded into the background, its ever-present grin still visible.
Sarah blinked, looking at Ethan inquisitively. “Did it work?” she asked. She hurriedly checked herself in a nearby mirror, her heart racing. But her reflection looked back at her unchanged. She touched her face her hair, looking for any sign of transformation. But there was nothing.
“I don’t understand,” Sarah murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “I look the same.”
Ethan approached her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You were always the most beautiful to me,” he whispered, trying to comfort her.
˜˜˜˜˜˜
Oblivious to the consequences of their first wish, Ethan voiced his desire. “I wish... for us to be the wealthiest in our group of friends.”
The genie’s gaze, cold and penetrating, settled on Ethan. “Are you certain of your wish?”
Ethan exchanged a glance with Sarah. He nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
With a flourish of its hand, the genie’s silhouette shimmered momentarily, and the room was engulfed in a whirlwind of shadows.
When the room returned to its previous state, Ethan hurriedly checked his pockets, expecting a sudden influx of money. But they were empty.
The weight of disappointment hung heavily between them. “I don’t understand,” Ethan murmured, confusion evident. “Where’s the wealth you promised?”
With its ever-present, unsettling grin, the genie replied, “Things are not always what they seem. But I assure you, you are the wealthiest individuals in your group.”
The cryptic words of the genie left them feeling uneasy.
˜˜˜˜˜˜
Notwithstanding that their wishes didn’t manifest as expected, the couple pushed on.
“I wish Ethan to be as strong and majestic as the creatures of old legends,” Sarah murmured, imagining him as their group’s most desirable and well-endowed man.
The genie’s enigmatic eyes locked onto Sarah’s. “Are you certain of your desire?”
She looked at Ethan, lust in her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure.”
The genie nodded. His grin was ever more present.
Ethan’s form began to contort and expand. His once-familiar features stretched and reshaped, his entire physique transforming before her eyes. In mere moments, there was now a majestic black stallion, its coat gleaming in the dim light where Ethan once stood.
Sarah’s heart raced, her eyes widening in horror. “No... no, this isn’t what I meant!” she cried out, the gravity of her words crashing down on her.
The genie’s voice, dripping with amusement, replied, “Strength and majesty come in many forms. You wished for the essence of old legends, didn’t you?”
With that, the genie disappeared back into the bottle.
Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes as she approached the stallion, her fingers trembling as she touched its silky mane. She stared deep into his eyes, searching for any remnant of Ethan. To her horror, she saw his consciousness trapped, screaming silently behind those equine eyes. She trembled, realizing the living nightmare she had imposed upon him.
As she surveyed the chilling aftermath, dread tightened its grip around her heart.
What unfathomable consequences had their wishes brought upon their friends?
In the deafening silence that followed, one haunting question echoed in her mind: How would she ever bear the weight of the dark sacrifices she had unknowingly imposed on the ones she loved?
Author Pen name
Tina Cyr
Author Works
The Lost Werewolf’s Mate, on DREAME
(https://dreame.onelink.me/mOD1/5u5o7s54)
The Witch and the Wolf, on DREAME
(https://www.dreame.com/story/3387906560)
Author groups
Facebook page: https://w**************m/tina.cyr.author
Facebook group: Tina Cyr’s Coffee Room (https://w**************m/groups/579778767230437)
Instagram: tina_cyr
Linktree: tina.cyr
- Writer
