Tales Untold

The Darkest Night

Peter drove his car furiously, fuming with rage and hurt. The darkness of the night engulfed his surroundings and hid every object in sight. The headlights of the car was the only source of light which was not enough. The divorce papers had finally been arranged that morning, but he wasn't satisfied with the terms and conditions.

The car, the house and half of the money would belong to him while the farmhouse, his two sons and the rest of the money would go to his wife. He had no custody over his children and was allowed to visit them only twice a month. Peter clutched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. How dare Clara take away his most precious treasures in the world? How dare she snatch away his sons? Twice a month - no, that wasn't enough time to spend with his children.

He now regretted marrying the cold-hearted woman he had once loved. Or had it all just been a mere infatuation? Clara was not the gentle girl he had thought her to be and despite trying his best to save their sham of a marriage, their relationship eventually fell into ruins and everything they had once built together was destroyed and lay in shambles.

Distracted by his strong emotions, Peter did not see the sharp bend in the road ahead and he drove straight through the trees and bushes. When he finally stopped the engine of his car, he found himself in a forest. "Damn it!" He cursed and punched the steering wheel in frustration. Clutching his head in his hands, Peter sighed dejectedly. What would he do now? What could he do? Nothing. Clara would take away his sons and he could do nothing to stop her.

"You seem like you need help."

Peter jumped in his seat and yelped in fear. He noticed a silhouette of a man standing outside his car in the forest. When the harsh pounding of his heart ceased a little after the initial shock, he said, "No thanks. I can drive my way back to the road myself."

The stranger, whose face was concealed by the shadows of the night, replied, "I am not talking about the car, friend. I am talking about your. . . personal predicament."

Snapping his head up in alert, Peter examined the man with suspicion and asked , "What do you mean?" The stranger let out a low chuckle. "You know exactly what I mean. I know about your problem with your wife. Oh, my mistake! Your ex-wife now, I suppose." Peter opened the car door and got out, standing before the man furiously. "Who are you and what do you want?" he hissed.

The stranger replied in amusement, "That's none of your concern, mate. Do you need my help or not? Because I can help you out of your problem." Peter hesitated and then asked curiously, "How can you help me?"

"What if I told you that I could grant you one wish, one single wish. I could make any one of your wishes come true."

Peter snorted in disbelief. "Stop wasting my time, buddy." He turned around and opened the door to get inside his car. "Just one wish, Peter", the man coaxed, "Just say it out loud even if you don't believer me. Just make a wish, anything that you want. Come on."

Peter paused and then turned around. "Fine! I wish I had never married Clara because I regret it, I regret marrying that conniving woman. There, I've said it! Now get lost." He got inside the car, slammed the door shut and started the engine. When he looked out again, he was shocked to see that the man had completely disappeared. There was no one outside, just the thick trees that towered over him intimidatingly.

With trembling hands, Peter hit the pedal and drove his car back to the highway, his mind reeling from his recent encounter. He resumed his journey to his home while he tried to comprehend the incident in the woods. Shock, disbelief and doubt clouded his emotions but a tiny, irrational part of him was filled with hope and anticipation. Of course the wish wouldn't come true, would it? Peter increased the speed of the car.

When he reached home, it was quite dark as the lights hadn't been switched on. Strange, he mused. He entered the house quietly and called out, "Clara!" His own echo was the only reply. Eagerly, Peter went to Clara's room but found no one there. Then he searched the cabinet where he had kept their wedding album, their marriage certificate and their divorce papers. It was empty. All the objects had disappeared.

Peter smiled. Could it be true? Had his wish really been fulfilled? "Boys!" Peter called out happily. Now he could finally be with his sons, no one could take them away from him. "John! Michael!" He called as he made his way towards his son's room. But when he opened the door, he was greeted only by the bare, dusty furnitures. The room was completely devoid of any trace of his sons' existence. There was nothing there related to them.

With horror, Peter now realized the consequences of his thoughtless wish. If he had never married Clara in the first place just as he had wished, then he had no sons too. He never had. He was fatherless. "No", Peter whispered with dread, "No." His whispers soon turned into woeful screams as he frantically began to call out the names of his precious children, searching every corner of the house. "No, no, please no!" He begged desperately as he sat on the floor and broke down into tears.

After a while, with renewed vigour, he rushed to his car and started the engine. With speed that matched his turmoil, he drove the car furiously back to the woods. Through the thickets and clump of trees, he finally brought his car back to the same place amidst the ominous forest. Getting out of his car, he cried out, "Where are you? Show yourself! Where are you hiding?" He waited for an answer but the only sound that greeted him was the rustle of the leaves. "Please", he pleaded, "Please come back! Please help me!" He stood all alone in the woods with only his car to keep him company.

Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps behind him and a familiar voice called out -

"Peter?"

# # #

So...What do you think? Did Peter's wish really come true? Who is the person at the last scene - the strange man or Clara herself? Did you like the story? Please "Vote" and "Comment"!

:)