Chapter 8: What I Really Wish For…
The sound of the doorbell rang across the house. Drew answered the bell by getting the door and taking a peek on the hole before letting his guest in. He opened the door for a disoriented Kelly: her hair all messed up, her eyes half-open, and…let's just say she's a complete mess that morning. She had to ride her bike all the way up to the hill and deliver his breakfast right at Drew's doorstep. Kelly was a complete mess…and Drew had something even better than that.
"Did your hair dryer blow up, Kelly? You're a complete mess." Drew giggled. "No wait, I mean a walking catastrophe."
"Do you want your food or not?!" Kelly cried. "You've got the nerve to call me at this early hour and have me deliver your breakfast, Drew Hayden! Don't you know how to cook your own food?"
"I wish I could but the cupboards have been looted clean and practically biting the dust."
"Well then, consider yourself grateful. If I wasn't here, you would be starving by now."
"So, where's our food? May and I are hungry."
"I'll take the payment first. Don't expect this to be free of charge, Drew."
"Is that how you treat your old friend, Kelly?"
"It's called 'making a living', Drewsky! Now pay up or no food for the both of you."
"Oh, woe is me. Have you no heart for the hungry?"
"Spare me the dramatics, Drew. Pay up."
After shrinking Drew's wallet even further, Kelly brought the container inside the house with Drew's order inside it. She put the dishes out one by one on the table while Drew prepared the plates and cutlery. May was…doing practically nothing but stare at the view on Drew's window.
"Hey, what's up with May? She seems…a bit dazed." Kelly asked.
"It's a long story." Drew sighed; taking the glasses out of the dryer.
---0---
At around seven in the morning, the three finally have their morning breakfast courtesy of Noodles and More. It was the start of another day and they would need their strength for whatever Drew plans to do today. On the other hand, May wasn't touching her food at all.
"Aren't you hungry, May?" Kelly asked. "I made all of this myself. I had to since my grandpa's still sleeping."
Suddenly Drew went back to his room and closed the door. A few minutes later, he came out wearing a white biohazard suit complete with a gas mask.
"Prepare for toxic waste disposal." Drew's voice echoed from the mask.
"Darn it, Drew! Who asked you anyway?" Kelly replied.
---0---
Drew decided to explain to Kelly everything that happened last night. Drew never asked May what her nightmare was all about nor did he ask her why was she scared. He was so focused on calming her panicking spirit down; he forgot to ask these questions.
"May, can you tell me what's wrong?" Drew asked. "You can always count on me."
Kelly gave Drew a stern stare. "You mean us."
"Okay, okay, you can count on US. Happy?"
"Much better…"
May knew that her master wouldn't stop asking until she answered honestly. However, she didn't need to involve her master in the horrendous nightmare she had last night. She kept on staring at her food on the plate without even taking a nibble out of it. May refused.
"I wish you would tell me what's the matter May." Drew used his second wish.
"Drew's wish is May's command." May replied; sighing.
However, the wish didn't call for May to dance to the music. Heck, she didn't use even a teeny bit of magic at all. It was a wish from her master and she needed to comply with it no matter what. She took a deep breath before spilling the beans (and remember: this is a wish so Drew has only three left).
---0---
(Drew-May-Kelly correspondence in normal text; flashbacks are italicized)
"I had a bad dream last night." May started. "It was about my…my past."
"Your…past…?" Drew said.
"I dreamt about the fall of the castle I used to live in…and the city where I grew up."
"So you're a princess about 5,000 years ago. Is that what you're trying to say?"
"That's right, Master…until I was killed during the attack."
Drew and Kelly looked at each other's eyes in shock. There was a moment of silence inside the house. The wind came in through the open window in Drew's bedroom and, as impossible as it may seem, a ball of tumbleweed went past them.
"You were WHAT?!" Drew and Kelly cried in unison.
"Oh, was it something I said?" May asked.
"Y-Y-You're a living d-d-d-d-d-d-dead?" Kelly said; shaking as much as a massage chair.
"No, I didn't mean that way Kelly." May explained. "I thought I was dead until…"
The entire caravan convoy was destroyed by the enemy cavalry. The platoon of guardsmen who were supposed to protect the royal family and the other refugees failed and were killed instantly and without mercy. A motionless May lay flat on the desert sand; the spear piercing her back completely and most of the shaft sticking out of the front. Although her body wasn't drawing breath anymore, her soul was still alive.
"I feel light…" May said. "What is this feeling? Am I…dead?"
"Do you want to live?" A voice emanated from somewhere. "Do you still want to walk the world of the living?"
"Who…who are you? What's going on?"
"I'm the one who can save your life…for a price."
"For…a price…?"
"Are you willing to take the risk, young one?"
"I…I…want to…live…"
"Very well…"
Slowly, the thrown spear began to disappear and the wound made by it healed. May's body rose up and floated in mid-air glowing before disappearing in a streak of light.
"You shall still draw breath but you will fulfill man's greatest desires for eternity. Until such a person desires your freedom, you will remain as a rose at night and as a genie by day forever."
"So in other words, you made a contract with some voice that refused to show its sorry face." Drew concluded.
"I did want to live." May replied. "I'm sure that's what my mother and brother wanted."
---0---
"May, I wanted to ask you something." Drew said.
"What is it, Master?" May replied.
"Have you ever wished for anything you want instead of fulfilling others' desires?"
"I'm not allowed to wish for anything, Master. My job is to fulfill your greatest desires."
"Just answer me, May. What if you were in my place? What would you wish for?"
The brunette girl held her heart close to her hands. She refused to answer even though it was her master asking. May had a good reason to refuse: she didn't know what to wish for. She was never asked this kind of question by her past masters. Then again, perhaps she did have an answer.
"I wish I could be…free." May said.
"Free…?" Kelly asked. "Do you mean freedom?"
"I want to be free…and be a regular human just like you."
"Well then, that can be arranged. Drew, wish for May's freedom. That's an order."
"It's not that easy, Kelly. That kind of wish is unique."
"Unique…? In what sense…?"
"Um…uh…I…I can't explain it. Nobody has ever asked me what I wish for before."
"But you really want to be free, right?"
"As much as it's against the code, yes…"
Kelly stood up all of a sudden and flipped the nearby calendar to the next month: the month of May. "Well then, mark your calendars on the 5th…and make sure you two are free on that day."
"Huh?" Drew and May asked in unison.
"We're going on a little field trip." The purple-haired girl winked.
END OF CHAPTER 8
