The Wishing Well | ✔

• One •

Every ordinary town has a wishing well.

It's not an abnormal thing to see an old-fashioned stone well standing on the pavement in front of a souvenir shop. It's quite normal to see half-a-dozen children gathered eagerly around it, begging their parents for a penny. To them, it's the joy of dropping a little bronze coin into a deep, deep pit and watching it fall. It's waiting a couple seconds in anticipation for the faint echo of a plop! in the water far below. This little sound signifies only one thing: whatever wish they made in that instant is bound to come true.

The wishing well in the little town of Maplenesse was no different. Except for the fact that this particular well was surrounded by four strong, trained guards with undivided alertness day and night.

For as long as anyone could remember it had been there. The crevices between the ancient rocks were well overgrown with moss, and thick vines slithered up its edges. Pieces of a worn rope still hung suspended from the wooden pole, though the bucket corresponding to it had vanished years ago.

The forlorn well lived on in the very middle of this town while the buildings, stores, cafes and restaurants around it rose to modernity. Some complained that it ruined the town's image, but no one ever dared to replace it. Not even the guards in all their bravery and might ever mustered up enough courage to lay a single finger on the rough stones.

Now, no one nowadays quite knew why it was so carefully guarded and feared. Not even the guards themselves knew it. All they knew was that they were under strict orders never to let anyone touch it, and that was the way it had always been. For decades, a rumour had been passed on that a child had leaned too far into the well while making a wish, and had fallen in. Others assumed that someone had put a curse on the old well.

On one particular summer afternoon, a small family of three could be seen walking through the streets of Maplenesse. Their clothes were faded and worn, and their hair was tangled and madded. The father was the very embodiment of years of hard work, and the mother's face was hard from years of poverty.

However, the little girl who accompanied them was still young enough to behold a cheerful, carefree face. In the midst of her faded clothing and dusty shoes, she skipped around her parents as though they were on a great adventure. The picture of childish contentment framed every move she made.

As they strolled through the town square, the young girl, Audra, spotted the well. All at once, her face lit up. "Look, papa!" she cried. "Look, mama! It's a wishing well!"

She skipped away toward it before her mother or father could make a reply.

Audra paused a few feet away from the tall guards, waiting for her parents to catch up. She mused at how tall and strong they looked. On the stones of the well between two guards, she caught sight of a little rusty plaque with a name on it. Though she was only six, she pridefully tried to sound out the words using the skills she was only just learning. "Ad-am Sa..." but the rest of the name was covered with a thick vine.

When her parents finally caught up, Audra whispered, "Why are these men blocking the well?"

Her father, Peter Wilkins, knelt next to her, and whispered a reply. "The well is probably dangerous," he explained. "They're making sure no one falls into it."

"Do you have a penny?" Audra asked her father, unfazed by his warning.

"Yes—but I don't think now is the time to throw a penny. How about we go grab a bite to eat instead?"

"But I want to drop a penny!" She pouted.

At last, Peter relented. He stood, pulling a thin, bronze coin from his pocket, and handed it to his daughter. Audra took a few quick steps toward the well and paused. Unfortunately, she still had the guards to worry about.

"Excuse me," she said meekly. Not one guard budged.

"Excuse me," she repeated, a little louder this time.

One of the four men looked down at her.

"I want to make a wish." Audra's voice was tiny but resolute.

The guard eyed her for a moment. Then, he scooped her up in his strong arms, noticeably assuring himself that she was not near enough to touch the well. "Alright, drop the penny," he said.

Audra squeezed her eyes shut. After a few seconds, she opened them, and dropped the penny into the opening with a look of contentment still glowing on her face.

The guard released her. As soon as she was standing upright on the ground, the tall, uniformed man returned right back to his alert position.

"What did you wish for?" asked Audra's mother, whose name was Kathryn.

"Oh, I can't tell you that," Audra replied curtly. "You said that if I tell somebody what I wished for, it won't come true."

That evening, the family found a little inn at the corner of the town. They paid the fare, which they managed to afford, and made their way upstairs. They took a few minutes to settle in—not that they had anything to unpack but a small handbag.

Audra's mother prompted her to lie down and try to sleep. The girl obediently located herself under the covers, but she wasn't quite ready to sleep yet.

"Mama," Audra whispered, "When is my wish going to come true?"

"Soon," her mother replied.

"But how soon exactly?" Asked the inquisitive child.

The woman let out a sigh. "It's different for each wish. But it will be granted soon if you have faith that it will."

Seeing that she wasn't going to prompt any other answer from her mother, Audra turned on her cot and closed her eyes tightly. She only hoped that she had enough faith.