Tales of Duskwood

Make A Wish

It was a cold night, for an August. The sky was clear and you could see the stars shining. The young man closed his laptop, tired. He opened the window to let some fresh air enter into his room. He was staying in an abandoned house in the countryside. He usually hid in the city. But, after what happened in Duskwood the place was surrounded by the police and FBI. Plus, this little corner of the countryside was on his way to a way bigger city where one of his only allies waited for him.

He wasn't in a hurry, though. He knew his friend didn't expect him before a few days and he also knew who lived in this area.

He promised her they would meet. But after the mine incident, he had to go into hiding again. He warned her that he was safe, but he couldn't talk to her frequently because it would have endangered her. But now that he was staying very close to her place, Jake needed to talk to MC. He missed her, he missed her messages.

He opened the door of the abandoned house, stepped outside and started walking on the desertic road that crossed the countryside. He didn't put on the hood of his hoodie, he wanted to look at the sky.

When he was a child he and his mom stargazed a lot. His mother used to put a blanket on the ground of their garden, and always prepared huge mugs of hot cocoa.

She taught him how to recognize the constellations: the little bear, Orion, Cassiopeia or Andromeda; he knew them all. His mother also told him she believed that when someone passed away, they'd join the stars and watch over their loved ones from above. Jake wasn't a believer, he always had a logical mind pushing away anything approaching spirituality. But when his mother died, years ago, he couldn't help but think about his mother when he looked at the stars. Especially when the sky was clear, he felt closer to her.

Walking on these empty streets reminded Jake that he was looking at the same sky that MC. Without noticing it, he took his phone from his jeans pocket and opened the chat he had with her. His fingers danced on his screen while he typed the message.

Jake : Hello MC :) it has been a while since we last talked.

He looked at his screen for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea to contact her. But they were so close. They had never been this close. It was now or never. He closed his eyes as he clicked to send the text. A few seconds later, a light sound indicated he received an answer.

MC : Jake ❤️ How are you? Are you safe?

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the lovely emoji she sent. They had confessed their love to each other a few weeks ago, and he still couldn't believe it was true. When did he get so lucky to have this wonderful woman loving him? A light smile crossed his face and he felt heat rise in his cheeks. MC was the only one who could make him feel like this.

Jake : I'm safe for now. Do not worry about me. :)

MC : Of course I'm worried!

He smiled. Of course he knew she would be worried. The woman was so caring for the others. He brushed his thumb on his screen where MC's message appeared, as if this small gesture made him feel be with her. Until now, it was all they had, the only things they could share, words through screens.

He could see in the distance the shadow of houses forming. He was approaching the small village where MC lived.

Something caught his eyes in the sky and he looked up just in time to see a shooting star crossing the firmament. It was the time of the year when there were the most visible shooting stars. A slight feeling of curiosity took over him.

Jake : May I ask you what you are doing, MC?

The woman took a little time to answer him. Jake stared at his phone screen, longing for the words of his beloved to appear.