I Wish...

Echoes of Desire

The next morning, the usual sounds of life—birds chirping, cars passing outside—felt muted, as though the world itself was holding its breath. I had barely slept, Caden's cryptic warnings and Ethel's reassurances wrestling in my head. My wishes had unleashed something dangerous, and now, I was left to clean up the mess.

The moment I stepped outside, the air felt different, heavier. It wasn't just a shift in the weather; it was something deeper. It was as if the world was echoing back every wish I had ever made, every desire I had once thought would make life perfect. Only now, I could hear the consequences, those once-silent echoes that trailed after every wish.

Be careful what you wish for, they seemed to whisper.

As I walked toward the community center, each step seemed to drag. I replayed the countless times I'd whispered a wish into the universe—small things, big things. They had come so easily, too easily, and now every one of them felt like a ripple turned into a tidal wave, crashing back toward me.

I had barely started sorting donations when I felt a presence behind me.

"Samara."

I didn't need to turn around to recognize Caden's voice, low and edged with that strange calm he always carried. But today, something was different. Beneath that calm, there was something darker, something strained.

"I told you to stay away," I muttered, not looking up. My hands trembled as I fumbled with the stack of clothes in front of me. "I don't need your cryptic warnings."

"You're not listening," he replied, his voice a little sharper this time. "This isn't a game, Samara. Every second you waste brings you closer to something you can't run from."

I finally turned to face him. His usual unreadable expression was gone, replaced by something rawer—fear. Seeing Caden afraid made my stomach knot.

"What's coming?" I asked, my voice low, barely more than a whisper.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice like someone afraid to be overheard. "They're already here. Watching. Waiting."

"Who?" I pressed, though a part of me wasn't sure I wanted the answer.

Caden glanced around, his eyes flickering toward the shadows pooling in the corners of the room. "The forces you've attracted. They feed on desire—the energy from your wishes. Every time you wanted something, every time you got it without working for it, you were giving them more power. And now... you've stopped. That's made them angry."

A cold shiver ran through me. Echoes of desire. That's what they were feeding on. The remnants of every wish I had ever made, left behind like a scent for these creatures to follow.

"But I didn't know," I whispered, shaking my head. "How was I supposed to know this would happen?"

"It doesn't matter," Caden said sharply. "Your desires created a trail, and now they want what's left. If you don't stop them, they'll take everything from you."

I felt my throat tighten as the reality of his words sank in. I thought back to the day I met Ethel, to the way she had warned me about the cost of wishing without working. She had tried to tell me that the magic had a price, that there were forces beyond my understanding involved. But I had been so caught up in the idea of getting whatever I wanted that I hadn't listened.

"And what about you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "Why are you so invested in this? What do you get out of it?"

Caden's face darkened, his jaw tightening. "I'm not your enemy, Samara. But I'm not your savior either. I've seen what happens when people like you don't heed the warnings. You can stop this, but it's going to take more than wishing. You need to fight for what you want now."