A Wish Gone Wrong

Uh... Oh.

The countryside was illuminated by stalls stretching out as far as the eye could see. The waves of people seemed unlimited as more and more arrived to celebrate the infamous Meteor Shower festival, only celebrated every 6000 years.

Among the sea of people, two friends held each other's hands to avoid getting lost as they navigated through the horde, swerving left and right to avoid collisions.

"Hurry, Lucas! It's about time!" the guy in the lead shouted.

"Oh crap! Slow down, Jonathan—HEY, CAREFUL!"

The two's banter was drowned out by the noise, but for them, this was like any other Tuesday.

Breathing heavily, the two sat down on the grass, trying to catch their breath as Jonathan, clearly the person at fault, laughed at the clearly furious Lucas.

"What the hell, dude!? We almost caused an accident how many times... I don't know, 20!?" Lucas' reprimand seemed to fall on deaf ears as Jonathan kept on laughing.

"Seriously, this guy..." Lucas looked disapprovingly before shaking his head. "Anyways, of all the places... Why here?"

Looking around, this place was the complete opposite of the festival. They were now higher into the mountain, which was only illuminated by the moon, with the sound of insects and fireflies adding to the mythical feeling. Above them, the clear sky displayed the universe in all its glory.

"This is a spot I recently discovered while flying my drone!" Fully recovered from his laughing fit, Jonathan took a picnic mat and laid it on the ground, motioning for Lucas to sit. "I figured that the meteor would look better without all the lights and noise, plus nature too."

"So that's why you asked me to bring this lamp," he said as he ignited the lamp and placed it in the middle of the mat. 'I must admit, this place is worth all the trouble.'

As the two settled down, Jonathan set up a timer on his phone for the estimated time of the event.

"Anyways, how's life? It's been so long since we last had the chance to meet like this," Jonathan asked as his eyes fixated on the starry sky.

"Just the usual. School has been a thorn in my side, mentally and financially. You?" Lucas sighed before turning his attention to his friend.

"Pretty much the same! Though I can't help but feel a little sad seeing our friends leave. Now there's only the two of us left."

Lucas looked at his friend, who was lying on his back, using his fingers to connect the stars with imaginary lines.

"The two of us, huh."

There used to be five of them. Their friendship started out in high school, where they met each other through the school's anime-watching club that Jonathan created.

Their friendship lasted till they graduated, but unfortunately, the other three either had to go to a different school or move to a new place, leaving only the two of them.

"Five minutes till the event. Have you thought about what you're going to wish for?" Jonathan asked.

Lucas looked at his friend with a smirk. "Do you seriously believe that the comet grants wishes?"

Jonathan pondered the question, and after several minutes of silence, a somber smile appeared on his face. "If it can make us stay together a little longer, then I am willing to bet, no matter how absurd it is."

The smirk on Lucas' face disappeared, and a silent sigh escaped his lips as his gaze fell to the ground. Jonathan and he had been friends for the longest time; you could even say they were raised in the same home due to how close they were.

As they grew up, they dreamed together, formulated plans for their future, and discussed their life choices under the shade of trees as they frequently camped in their free time. The two were truly brothers in arms... Unfortunately...

"Your family is moving next year, right?" asked Jonathan.

"Yeah... I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

"Nah, you're fine!" Jonathan stood up, hands on his waist. "It's a given that each of us will have to leave to pursue our dreams... I'm just sad at the fact that one day, my closest homie would leave me and probably never return."

"Come on now, you know I'm not like that!" Lucas chuckled as he stood up and patted down his pants. "You know we're like brothers, right? Nothing would truly separate us, even if it's the continental divide!"

Lucas raised his fist, prompting Jonathan to raise his own and do a fist bump. As their fists hit against each other, the comet became visible to the eye.

Despite being just a tiny dot in the sky, the tail it emitted was enough to make it the highlight of the starry night.

"So, what's your wish?" Lucas looked at his friend, whose eyes were still glued to the passing comet.

"... I don't want to hinder your journey into the future, so as a friend... I wish you all the best. May the future be bright for you and me!" Jonathan turned to him with a toothy grin. "And also I would like to have a beautiful childhood girlfriend with generational wealth to pamper me!"

Lucas burst out laughing at his friend's wish, which he shouted at the top of his lungs. 'He hasn't changed one bit!'

"Then my wish is that all your wishes come true!" he screamed, making sure his shout was louder than the other.

The two watched the comet as tears welled in their eyes, years of friendship flashing as if it were the end of a film. But suddenly, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease as he stared at the comet.

The tail it's emitting... The glow... It somehow feels wrong.

And as the thought comes to his mind, the comet's glow suddenly intensified.

"...Hey John... Are you seeing this?!" Lucas asked as the comet became bright enough to blind his eyes.

"Jonathan?!" There was no response.

Lucas forced his eyes open due to concern, but as he did, a sharp headache assaulted him, making him fall to the ground.

"Shit... Jonathan!"

As quickly as it came, the headache disappeared, leaving a numbing feeling in his head. He opened his eyes, and to his shock, the forest surroundings and the starry night disappeared, replaced by an unfamiliar ceiling.

"Wh...at... Whe...re am ...I?" His voice came out raspy and weak.

The sound of the door opening assaulted his ears, making him flinch, a shadow of a person can be seen through his peripheral vision. He wanted to turn his head towards that direction, but his body seems to deny such a request.

"Jonathan..." he called out.

But to his surprise, instead of the voice of his close friend, what responded was the voice of a woman, her tone filled with worry and shock.

"Young Miss... You're awake!!!"