DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Twilight Zone.

"Wishes Made"

By: Imogene Amherst

Fade-in to a man walking down one of the busy 1970's New York sidewalks. He is wearing a gray suit with a black tie. He is 6'0 in stature with wavy black hair. To his right, there is a door with a sign over it that says "23rd Street Bar." He enters.

From the view of the entrance to the bar, we see the layout. Three steps leading down to the wooden floor. There is a dance floor directly ahead with rows of tables up and down it. Around the corner to the left, you walk straight into where the bartender's counter is. Will takes his usual seat…

"Afternoon, Will," Ted the bartender greets him.

"Good afternoon, Ted." Will replies with a depressed tone in his voice.

"What's wrong, Will? You sound a little down." Ted inquires.

Ted hands Will his usual scotch and puts his elbows on the bar, ready to listen.

"I'm just so tired of the same thing every day," Will answers, "I want it to change. The only reason I ever came here was to meet a woman. I've been sitting here for 10 years and not a single woman has come along. I mean, sure, I've had a date here and there, but not one of them has been impressed enough with me to go on a second date. I just don't see the point anymore, Ted."

Zoomed-out view of the bar. We see Ted talking to Will. The view spins to the left, to a seat at the very end of the bar…

Profile of a Mr. Wilfred Brumming: A wealthy 35 year old male in search of the woman of his dreams. Unlike Mr. Brumming expected it to, his fortune did not bring him the comfort he sought when he decided he'd try to be a success in this world. On the contrary, his wealth brought him pain and sorrow and left him in this bar on 23rd Street. For 10 years, he's sat here waiting and tonight, Wilfred Brumming is going to find what he's been waiting for. However, what is going to take place here in this bar will only lead Will farther into the confusing depths…of the Twilight Zone.

"So, you see, Ted," Will explained, "I can't go on like this. It's too painful. There's no woman out there for me. I just need to give up."

Ted looked at Will in disbelief. For 10 years, he had been in this bar, patiently waiting, and now he's just giving up.

"I used to look up to you, Will," Ted said, "But now, I just don't see why. If you're going to give up on anything, then you're not the guy I thought you were. I could understand you if you meant you were going to give up looking for love in a bar, but altogether? I can't understand that, Will."

Will sat there at the counter, staring at his shot glass, slowly spinning it in circles.

He looked up.

"Ted, I don't care what you think of me," Will began, "Don't you see? I don't care! I have money, all the money a man could want. I have a pent house. I can buy anything that would make a woman happy and I have! All those women leave, Ted, all of them. That's because they don't love me. I give up, Ted. I'm sorry, but I do."

Ted again looked at Will in disbelief. He stood there, not believing the words that were coming out of Will's mouth.

Slowly, Ted turned and walked away.

It was understandable. Ted and Will always talked about Will's meeting the perfect woman. It had been the thing to talk about for years and all that time, there was never any talk of giving up. Now that there was, Ted couldn't believe it.

Will sat there for hours. He had a few drinks in him. He decided to go outside and get some fresh air, as it was late and the bar was getting crowded and smoky.

We see Will walk outside, hardly walking straight. The door closes behind him and he looks both ways down the sidewalk. He decides to go to the right. He walks a ways and comes up on a fountain. The kind of fountain you throw pennies in to wish something…

"Oh, a penny fountain," Will says to himself in a sarcastic voice.

"I should wish for my true love to come along, shouldn't I? Yes, yes, that's what I'll do! I'll wish!"

Will reaches into his pocket and picks through his change.

"Here's a penny," he says to the fountain, "I wish for the woman of my dreams. I wish for the woman I've been waiting for all these years."

Laughing while he spoke and throwing in even nickels and dimes, he continued…

"I want her to be tall with beautiful blonde hair. I want her to be a real bombshell. I want her to love me. Me! Not my money."

Will, realizing that he had just thrown all of his change into the fountain, sighed and turned around. He shook his head and stressfully ran his hands through his hair. He walked back to the bar…

Will had a seat. Ted paid him no attention because he was disgusted with him. One of Ted's other employees gave Will his scotch.

Will had had three more drinks when he heard the voice of a woman coming from behind him.

"Hello, Tiger," she said.

Will lifted his head up from his drink. He looked from his left to his right. He was drunk and his vision was blurry.

"I'm behind you, silly," she said again in a playful manner.

Will turned around on his stool. There stood a woman in a white dress that came down a little past her knees. She looked beautiful, although Will couldn't see her face very well, as his eyes were blurry.

"What's the matter?" she asked as she walked toward him, "I'm the answer to your prayers."

Now the two were face to face.

Will rubbed his eyes and tried hard to focus on the woman's face.

His eyes cleared and what he saw nearly made him jump out of his skin.

It was Marilyn Monroe. Alive and breathing, standing before him.

"Ma…Ma…Mar…" Will stuttered.

"Marilyn," she helped him out with a smile, "Marilyn Monroe."

"But I thought you were…" he stared at her for a moment before he finished his sentence, "…dead?"

"Now, let's not dwell on that," Marilyn answered.

She took his arm and helped him off his stool.

"Come on," she said, smiling ear to ear, "Let's dance!"

She pulled Will over to the dance floor.

Many thoughts were running through Will's head.

"Marilyn Monroe is dead! Have I lost my mind? I should be happy, right? A woman, no not just a woman, Marilyn Monroe said she's the answer to my prayers! How could it be? Surely that fountain didn't really answer my wish! That isn't possible! I don't want this. Sure, it's Marilyn Monroe, but it's too odd. I don't want this!"

Marilyn noticed the terrified look on Will's face while they were dancing.

"What's wrong, baby?" she asked him.

Will just looked at her with that same terrified look. He shook his head and ran away from her.

We see Will run out of the 23rd Street Bar. He turns to his right, running back toward the fountain.

A minute later, we see Marilyn Monroe leave the bar, look to her left, then to her right, spot him and call after him.

By this time, Will is at the fountain.

"No pennies! I have no pennies!" Will frantically says to himself, "I don't have a coin of any kind! What will I do?"

We see Marilyn slowly walking towards him. It's obvious that he's not going anywhere, so why should she run?

We see Will digging in his pockets, frantically glancing behind him every once in awhile to see Marilyn coming closer.

"I'll just have to get some coins out of the fountain!" Will says to himself.

We see Will plunge his upper body into the fountain, desperately trying to grasp as many coins as he can. He stands back up again, still glancing nervously behind him. Marilyn has almost reached him.

He begins to throw coins into the fountain…

"Take her back! I wish you'd take her back! Please!" Will fast and frantically yells to the fountain, "I was wrong to wish for a woman! I was wrong! I don't want to bother Marilyn! Take her back. She doesn't love me anyway! Not the kind of love I want! I want a love that's natural! A kind you don't have to wish for! But I don't want you to give it to me!" he shouted waving his hands to make it clear, "I just want you to take Marilyn back! Please!"

Will stops talking. Feeling in his hand, he realizes he has no change left. He slowly looks up and turns around, his heart pounding in his chest.

Marilyn is gone. He looks around. She's no where to be seen.

Will then realizes that passer-bys are standing around staring at him. He looks at them and he says…

"She's gone! Thank God, she's gone! Not that I don't like Marilyn Monroe," Will explained to the puzzled group of people standing around him, "It's just that she's not mine! She could have been… but I just wouldn't have felt right about it."

A few at a time, the people went on their way again. They were shaking their heads and whispering to their friends that were with them.

We see Will slowly begin to walk back to the 23rd Street Bar. Wet and puzzled himself, he ponders the events that have taken place…

Wilfred Brumming, at the moment, a confused but relieved man. Everyone else is oblivious to the fact that Will had a wish granted and begged for it to be taken back, all in the same night. Wilfred Brumming is the sole witness to two wishes granted…by the Twilight Zone.