THE MID NIGHT WISH

The Walking Dead... in the living room

The car screeched to a halt in front of a beautiful hotel. The glass doors guarded by the door men were so clear, Dee almost walked through them. She was led into the building and into the elevator. the elevator bell rang with each floor it passed and with each floor passed, Dee's heart pounded harder.

The last ring and the door opened. Dee exhaled sharply. She could feel the pounding in her ears and was almost sure that her beating heart could be seen through the dress.

Led into the room, where Dee took her place on the arm rest as Vella disappeared into the bedroom. The distorted voices talking behind the bedroom walls were approaching. one voice, clearer than the other. Her mother's clear, soft voice rang in her ears.

'why am I nervous about meeting my mother?' Dee wondered as she heard her mother's footsteps approached.

From the room, her mother emerged, looking different compared to when Dee last saw her. she had become slim, taller and had short silver hair, neatly combed. she wore a grey business suit and a pair of gorgeous grey suede pumps. Her face was stern, her wrinkles almost invisible. it was clear her skin was better than before.

"Dee?" she called.

"Yes mom?" Dee answered, trying to contain her excitement.

If her wishes had come true, she would try to be normal, not to hurt her mother's feelings.

(Imagine a situation where you found out you died in the alternate life.)

"Vella, could you excuse us for a while?" Dee's mother said with a subtle smile.

Vella nodded and backed out of the room.

"Mom, I am so glad to see you! Not that we were apart so long..." Dee rambled before being interrupted by her mother.

"What on earth were you thinking?"

"Sorry?" Dee was confused.

"You wished for all this? I know you thought it would affect my memory like everyone else's but no!"

"So you know all this is not true?"

"Yes Dee," her mother said taking a seat opposite her daughter, "Look honey, you've basically brought be back from the dead. I can barely even feel my heart beat. Why would you wish for this?"

"Mom, my wishes did not come true so i thought the fountain doesn't work."

"It works when you drink from it. Did you drink the fountain water?"

"I fell in it, so it got in my mouth," Dee said while fidgeting with her thumbs.

the atmosphere had changed. Dee was no longer excited and grew more worried as she watched her mother mumble curses and tutting. Her heart no longer raced with happiness. Worry shrouded her and her eyes clouded with tears of fear. A chain of questions ran through her mind. What if it was a mistake? What if it ends up costing a lot? Did she wish for more than she could handle? Was there a way to reverse this?

"Dee?" her mother pulled her out of the consuming thoughts.

"Am I going to die?" Dee asked, her voice shaking.

"What?"

"I have seen it in tv shows, where to bring back someone from the dead, they sell their soul then die."

"No, you won't die. You just need to find a way to fix it."

Dee's mother took held Dee's hands in comfort. Her hands were cold and a little grey. Dee looked closely at her mother's hands and saw dirt under her nails. Contrary to her mother's opinion of keeping clean and short nails.

"Mom, your hands. They look dirty," Dee pointed out, hoping to not sound rude.

"You did call me from the grave sweetheart. There's bound to be a little dirt on me still."

Dee smiled halfheartedly. She had to find a way to reverse the wishes. It was all too much, too suddenly to accommodate.

* * * * *

Dee slumped in the leather arm chair in her living room and groaned. She felt as though the weight of the world had burdened her shoulders. She looked around the room and saw her dog.

She had wished as a child to get her dead dog back. She wondered if it was the same dog or just a coincidental replica. She decided to test it and sat up, squinting her eyes as though she was sizing up to the challenge.

"Peanut! Come here boy!" Dee called.

The pomeranian immediately scurried over and settled at her feet, it's tongue out, panting.

Dee questioned her orders. Maybe that command was so well known, any dog would follow it. She then recalled that her childhood dog had one unique command. So she leaned in front and pat his head.

"Peanut, argue," Dee commanded.

The little pomeranian stood up and started barking at her. Dee was startled and immediately stood up, ready to run. It WAS her childhood pet that had come back to life. Dee felt suffocated as she tried to acknowledge the fact that there was a living dead dog in her living room with her. Short of breathe, Dee got dizzy and fell to the ground. everything went pitch black and all she could hear was the panting of her dog. This was definitely what she didn't sign up for.

* * * *
Dee sat on the lounger and soaked herself in the afternoon sun. The view of the garden was beautiful, with splashes of colours here and there. She was exhausted trying to comprehend everything that came her way, and it was a lot to take in.
She fidgeted with her thumbs as she tried to come up with a solution to at least get the zombie dog out. She needed a way to reverse the wishes. She sighed in frustration.
There was nothing she could think of. Of all the things, why did she wish for a dead dog? She also wanted her mother to stay alive, not be a real life zombie!
'wait! Is she going to eat my brains?' she thought, sitting up startled.
"What happened miss Idun?" Vella asked walking in with a glass of fresh orange juice.
Dee looked up at Vella. She had no words to express how she was feeling. It was a mistake she had made but at the same time, she didn't let want to let it go. She finally had her mother's comforting arms. Why would she want to let it go?
"Vella," Dee called, "hypothetically, if I made a few wishes in a magic fountain and they came true, how do you think I could reverse it?"
"Well now, I don't believe there's a thing like that. However the answer would be simple, don't you think?" Vella said as she sat across from Dee.
"I can't figure it out Vella."
Vella took Dee's hands in her own. Her blue eyes glimmering with love and her mouth in a slight smile.
"It's simple," she said.