The Wishing Box

    When Heidi left, Jennifer began to search for her orange Converses under the bed. A faint glow caught her eye. It came from a small object in the back corner beneath the bed. Jennifer stretched her arm until it landed upon the object, and pulled it out.

    It was a small, clear cube, a bit smaller than her fist. What was the most amazing about the box, was that it was clouded with a soft mist inside of it. The mist was pale pink and peach colored, and it rolled about like waves on the beach. The soft glow that Jennifer had seen emanated from within the mist.

    Jacklynn popped her head into the cabin just as Jennifer tucked the box beneath her pillow. “If you’re coming, you had better hurry. Jill’s getting hungry!”

    “She’s always hungry!” said Jennifer, following Jacklynn out the door. She carefully tied a thief's knot around the door handle; Something she had, coincidentally, learned at Camp Elmer. Jennifer didn’t want anyone to know about the box until she could discuss it with the the others. She walked to the mess hall with her friends, pondering what she had found, and ignoring the conversation on trying to decide why it was called a mess hall.

    “Maybe,” said Lindsay, “the person who first invented the mess hall was a really sloppy eater?”

    “That could be it,” said Jennifer, trying to appear as if she were actually taking part in the conversation.

    “What’s up, Jen?” asked Jacklynn, concerned. Obviously Jennifer hadn't succeeded. Or else Jill knew her too well. Either was possible. “You seem distracted.”

    “I’ll tell you later,” said Jennifer, waving a hand in the air as if to shoo away the question. When Jacklynn looked as if she was going to ask more questions, Jennifer said, “I’m fine! Besides, we’re here.”

    “Finally! I’m famished!” exclaimed Jillian.

    “It only took about two minutes to get here, and we just ate!” laughed Jennifer.

    “Your point is...”

    They entered the hall together, and waited in the line to get food. Jillian tapped her foot impatiently. They ate a dinner of thick chili, salad, cooked baby carrots, and chips. The girls walked back to their cabins with full stomaches, and bade each other good night. Jennifer planned to examine the box more closely. She also planned to discuss it with the other girls.

    Once they were all in their pajamas, Jennifer retrieved the box from underneath the pillow. She looked around the room at each of the girls in turn. Lindsay was listening to her iPod. Jillian was engrossed in her favorite book, Disease of the Dead. She had packed the sequel, Survival of the Fittest, in case she finished it before they returned home, which Jennifer thought was entirely possible. Jacklynn sat on her bed practicing what sounded like French. Jennifer popped her head up beside Jillian’s bed. “Jill, you better come see this.” Jillian continued reading, and finally tore her eyes away from the page and closed the book.

    “What’s up?” asked Jillian.

    “Check this out.” Jennifer produced the small box and handed it to Jillian.

    “Cool. Where’d you find this?”

    “Below my bed.” said Jennifer, pointing. She hopped up onto Jillian’s bunk and sat beside her, examining the box while Jillian turned it over in her hands.

    “Watcha doing?” asked Lindsay from across the room. She carefully climbed down the ladder from her bed, and walked to Jennifer’s and Jillian’s bunk. “Sweet. What is it?” Jacklynn followed behind her.

    “I don’t know, but I’m hungry.”

    “When are you not?” Jennifer asked her twin, just as Lindsay jokingly asked if Jill had a tape worm.

    “I wish that I had something to eat. I’m famished!” said Jillian, ignoring them.

    The glow inside of the box brightened for a fleeting moment, and then dimmed again. There was a knock on the door. It opened, and Heidi popped her head in.

    “Hey, guys. I was hungry, and wondered if anyone wanted some chips. I brought some from dinner.” said Heidi.

    Jennifer and Jillian exchanged glances. Each knew what the other was thinking.

    “That was weird.” Lindsay blurted.

    “Yeah,” agreed Jennifer.

    “What was weird?” Heidi asked.

    The four girls explained about the box, and how Jillian had wished for something to eat right before Heidi had come in.

    “That is weird.” Heidi said. “Well, do you want some chips or not?”

    “I thought you would never ask!” exclaimed Jillian.

    The five girls snacked in silence, each contemplating what Jennifer had found.

    When they finished the brief repast, Heidi bade them goodnight, and left the cabin. It was darker in the cabin now, because the only light in the cabin was growing dim. Jennifer examined the box, squinting at it in the fading light. “I wish it was a little brighter in here, that way I could look a little closer at this thing.”

    The dim light flickered out. “Oh, great.” said Jennifer, directing her voice into the darkness. “Now I can’t see a thing!” the glow in the box grew lighter for a moment, and then returned to it’s normal soft, pulsing glow.

    “I guess that means it’s not ‘magic’.” she heard Lindsay’s voice across the room.

    The bulb flickered on, brighter than it had been before. Jennifer gaped at the box. “This can’t be happening.” she said in disbelief. But it was happening.

    “It’s not possible!” exclaimed Jacklynn.

    “But it’s true.” said Jillian. Her voice was surprisingly calm.

    “Aren’t you the least bit surprised about this thing?” asked Jennifer.

    Jillian shrugged. “Yeah, just a little.”

    Jennifer examined the box, trying to think of a way to confirm her suspicions. An idea came to her. “I wish I could fly,” she whispered into the box. The box grew brighter, then dimmed. All was silent until Jillian’s cell phone rang.

    “Hello?” Jennifer heard Jillian ask. She listened. “Hi, Dad... okay... okay, I’ll tell Jen. Bye, Dad.” She closed the cell phone. “We’re going back to New York in a plane instead of driving. Dad’s got a last-minute business trip or something, he won’t be able to pick us up.”

    “We’re flying?” Jennifer asked in disbelief.

    “Yeah... Why, do you not like flying or something?” asked Jillian.

    “No. It’s just... I wished that I could fly, to see if the box really did grant wishes.” she admitted.

    Jillian gaped. “This can’t just be a coincidence. First the chips, then the light, and now this!”

    Jennifer stared at the box. What would she do with it? She tried to think of a way to use it. A thought occurred to her. “Hey, Jill.” she said softly.

    “Yeah?”

    “I just had an idea.” Jennifer said. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

    “What kind of idea?”

    “We could wish that mom and dad were back together. Even better. We could wish that dad never left.”

    “You’re right. I never thought about it.”

    “Let’s make the wish.” Jillian placed her hand on top of the box with Jennifer’s.

    Jennifer took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I wish dad had never left.”

Author's Note

So... How many people caught on to the references to a certain... Writer.... Somewhere in there? ;) Shout out to you, Megan <3

Oh, and as for the books.... I do not own Survival of the Fittest, nor do I own Disease of the Dead. There. All set.