The Well

Once upon a time there lived a girl named Alexis. I know what you’re thinking now. A beautiful princess living in a castle, right? Well you’re wrong. This typical girl was ugly. Uglier than the average ugly. If she’d come your way, you’d run for the hills. Everyone did and that was normal. I would describe her but I prefer not handing out free nightmares.

She was not only the ugliest but also the meanest person there was. Why was she mean? Well, she knew whether or not she was nice, people would look at her differently. People would be mean to her, think she’s a monster. Parents would have called her to make their children eat their vegetables. So, to get respect around there, she would be mean to everyone.

Little did anyone know, this specific, ugly, mean little girl known by the name Alexis would cry herself to sleep. She was lonely, no friends at all. Even if she was nice to people, nobody would want to be the ugly girl’s friend. She would often, look outside the curtains of her house and watch the children play. Sadly, when she would part the curtains and reveal her face, the kids would run off. They actually thought she was the village monster and ate little children.

So, one day she went outside for a walk. As she moved down the road, every man, woman and child made way for her. They stilled at her sight. They’d call to their own God as she passed by. So she walked and walked and walked, trying to find some peace. She was hoping she would find her oasis along the way.

She was about to fall from all the walking until, an old man was passing by. He was leaned over his front, walking with a cane. He was dressed in a white cloth.

“Are you going to the well? I wished for my youth back.”

“What?”

“You don’t know about the well?”

“No…”

“It’s a wishing well, child. Legend says, for a coin, you can wish for anything you want and it comes true.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You should try it out.”

With that, the man leaves. This was absurd and Alexis was aware of it. How could a well provide me with what I want? It doesn’t hurt to try. She thought this and finally she reached the well. She dug through her pockets and found a single silver coin.

“Well here goes nothing.” She whispered.

She turned to the well, murmured her wish and flicked the coin into the water. I want friends, was what she wished for. She returned to her long hot walk. It was summer and she was already drenched in sweat.

A small distance from the well, she reached another village and she discovered a fire. The bakery had caught fire. Without hesitation, she ran back to the well and pulled out a full bucket of water. She ran to the bakery and started to put the fire out. The by-passers were only looking at her. Nobody had even tried to help. She gathered her mean yelling voice and screamed.

“THERE’S A WELL OVER THERE! GRAB A BUCKET AND COME ON!”

And as soon as these words exited her lips, everyone came to help. One bucker after another and soon enough the fire was out. The baker shook her dirty hand with both his hands, thanking her. Everybody thanked the day’s hero. Everybody now knew her as a hero. Everybody liked her. Before she left to celebrate with the baker as he wanted to treat her, she caught a glimmer at the corner of her eye. Within the wooden bucket which was sitting on the soil, was a single shiny silver coin. She gazed at the coin for an entire moment and smiled.

Sometimes, wishes do come true.