I Wish...

Shadows by the Well

As Ethel's words sank in, the room seemed to grow colder. The flickering candlelight cast elongated shadows that danced across the walls, mirroring the unease settling in Samara's chest.

Jenna broke the silence first, her voice tinged with nervous determination. "So, let me get this straight—we're going back to the well to release the magic, but along the way, we're going to face everything Sam's ever wished for. The good, the bad, and the ugly."

Ethel gave a solemn nod. "Precisely. The well is the epicenter of the magic, and it's tied to Samara in ways that even I don't fully understand. The ritual will draw out every consequence of your wishes, forcing you to confront them one by one. Only then can you sever the connection."

Samara swallowed hard, the enormity of the task weighing on her like a lead blanket. "What happens if I can't... confront them? If I fail?"

Ethel's gaze softened, but her voice was unwavering. "Then the magic will remain, and the entities it attracts will continue to come. They will not stop until they consume everything tied to that power—including you."

Jenna leaned forward, her hand slapping the table with more bravado than she felt. "Well, failing isn't an option. We've faced shadows, and we've faced worse. We can handle this."

Samara glanced at her friend, grateful but also afraid for what Jenna might face by staying at her side. "Jenna, you don't have to do this. You've already helped me more than I could have asked."

Jenna's eyes flashed with indignation. "Sam, stop. We're in this together. You think I'd let you face down a bunch of nightmare-inducing wish-ghosts by yourself? Not a chance."

Ethel allowed herself a small smile. "You're lucky to have such loyalty, child. But make no mistake, this journey will test both of you in ways you've never imagined. The well will show no mercy, and neither will the magic tied to it."

Samara clenched her fists, trying to summon the same resolve Jenna so easily displayed. "Then we'll prepare. Tell me everything I need to know about the ritual."

Ethel reached for a dusty, leather-bound book on the shelf behind her, its cover adorned with faded symbols. She placed it on the table with a weighty thud and opened it to a page marked by a yellowed ribbon.

"This is the spell you'll need to perform," Ethel said, her finger tracing the intricate lines of the ritual's diagram. "It requires specific items—some you'll find easily, others... you may have to fight for. The well will resist you. It's alive, in its own way, and it doesn't want to lose its hold."

Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Fight for? What kind of 'items' are we talking about here?"

Ethel looked at her with a grim expression. "Fragments of your wishes. They've scattered over time, taking on forms tied to their essence. Some may be benign—a lost toy, a favorite book. But others... may have become something far darker, shaped by the harm they've caused."

Samara's stomach churned. "And once we gather them?"

"You'll bring them to the well," Ethel said. "Each fragment must be cast back into its waters, and with it, the emotions, memories, and regrets tied to that wish. It will strip away pieces of you, but it's the only way to restore balance."

The gravity of the task settled over them like a shroud, but Samara nodded, determination flickering in her eyes. "Where do we start?"

Ethel closed the book, her voice steady but laden with caution. "Begin with the wishes that weigh on you the most. They'll be the easiest to find—because they've never truly left you."

Jenna gave Samara a nudge and a lopsided grin. "Well, looks like we've got some wish-hunting to do. How bad could it be?"

Samara gave her a weak smile, knowing Jenna's optimism was more for her benefit than anything else. She turned to Ethel. "We'll do this. I'll fix what I broke."