The Cost of Having Anything (With A Single Word)

Angela #1: One Mistake

As far as Angela could remember, she always had a wish-granting genie by her side.

... Well, she didn't know if it was actually a genie, but she assumed that making things happen every time she talked was how genies worked. Maybe. Probably? Eh, it wasn't that important.

Sure, all the adults could also make things happen, but her way was different! Adults had to sweat and shout and rush to do things; and they weren't even doing exciting things! No, it was always the bank, the doctor (ick!), the supermarket, and blah blah blah. But Angela was different. All she had to do was open her mouth, say what she wanted, and presto! She had it!

Why could she do this? Dunno. It was not like she really cared why, either. Not when she could secretly practice in her room where her papa couldn't see the ever-growing pile of strawberry ca—

Oops, that was supposed to be a secret.

In fact, her "superpower" was supposed to be a secret! Papa had placed down that rule when she had almost done it in front of a kid she couldn't remember now, "Never, ever show it to anybody outside of this house again. Never speak carelessly. You have to think, Angela, understand?"

He'd been a little mad that day, yeah, but Angela didn't mind; he was only trying to protect her. There were many people outside who would want to "take advantage" of her superpower (she wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but it must be pretty bad), and might even hurt her to get it! Did she want to get taken away from her Papa, he asked? Of course not! He even went the extra mile to homeschool her himself to make sure she was safe, even though he was really busy all the time.

So Angela was perfectly content with the routine of waking up, studying, playing, and keeping her mouth shut until she went to bed. Sure, she wasn't terribly good with the last part, but she tried really hard, she swears!

Unfortunately, when something as tempting as a closed door to the outside of the house was standing right in front of her, Angela's faith in her routine tended to waver a little.

Not that it was her fault that happened. She had just finished her schoolwork in her bedroom and bounded down the stairs to tell Papa as fast as possible so that she could go play... but he wasn't anywhere in the living room.

Angela blinked. Weird. Papa usually did his "remote working" that always had nothing to do with remotes in the living room... Maybe he was somewhere else in the house? Angela began her trot around the house: kitchen? No one. Backyard? Empty. Papa's room? ... Nope. Angela whispered for the door to be "closed
quietly", and after it swung shut with a soft 'click', she found herself at the one last place Papa could have possibly gone.

Outside.

Angela hovered anxiously around the closed front door. Go out, or do not? Two potential scenarios were bouncing around in her head; one, her Papa could find out and punish her... or two, she could take a quick peek outside and no one would ever have to know. Everything would be fine if she just kept her superpowers a secret, right? Yeah... Yeah!

And with that easy self-persuasion, Angela whispered, "Open, please."

The front door opened with no difficulties... as did the one window in the corner of her vision.

'Oops.'

After hastily shutting the window, Angela found herself hovering around the doorframe now, feet shuffling as if still caught in an internal debate. She could clearly see the outside now, with the identical-but-not-quite row of houses across the street just as she had seen through the window before, but now the sweet scent of lawn met her nose. Angela took a deep sniff... and scrunched her nose. Ew, was that gas in the air?