Once Upon A Wish: Read Now for Free

“The first worthy soul you lay eyes upon shall walk home with a granted wish, ” The sorcerer said before bursting into a cloud of smoke. Evyana gawked ahead, confused as to what she would do with a blessing that was not quite hers.

Later that day, she joined the onlookers of a carnival deciding she would find someone worthy among them. The whiff of popcorn filled the air as she spectated the colorful performances. 

“Please, Can we get some cotton candy?” A young boy pleaded to his furious mother. As his eyes began to glint with tears, Evyana decided to fulfill his wish. But this one didn’t need a sorcerer’s magic. She walked up to a vendor and bought two sticks of fluffy pink candy. The young boy’s face lit up as she handed it to him. Ready to light up more faces, she walked ahead. 

“Can I help you?” Evyana spotted a weeping teenage girl who sat on a bench nearby. 

“If only you could make me pretty,” the chubby girl replied. 

“You are pretty,” 

“No one likes me. I wish I could be slim and beautiful.” 

“You are beautiful no matter your weight. Don’t change for what others say,” Evyana walked away, saddened that she couldn’t help the girl more. 

Then, she bumped into a middle-aged mime artist. The woman apologized, a gloomy look behind her painted face. Soon, after a lengthy conversation, Evyan realized the struggles of the lonely woman. Unsatisfied with her lack of money and unhappy life, the woman longed for wealth and success. However, Evyana didn’t grant her the wish. She doubted if freshly printed dollars or luxurious items could solve the mime’s problems. 

As the sun finally set, Evyana helped an elderly man walk to a nearby tent. His limping legs and grief-stricken face were souvenirs of his tragic past. Soon, she learned about his worries and regrets, about his desire to relive the past and change the future. Sorry that she couldn’t help him, Evyana bid him adieu. 

Tired of the day and unable to find the receiver of her wish, Evyana visited the last attraction, the hall of mirrors. 

Among the thousand warped images of herself and the confusing maze of mirrors, she pondered upon the words of the sorcerer. “The first worthy soul you lay eyes upon shall walk home with a granted wish.”  A smile twisted her lips as she laid eyes upon herself in a mirror. She closed her eyes and wished everyone she had befriended that day be happy. After all, no matter the longing for change, wealth, and perfection, all that mattered, in the end, was happiness. 

Evyana observed the smiling faces in the crowd as she walked out of the carnival, happy that she had chosen others over herself. She realized something in her had changed as she stepped out of the carnival’s colorful gate.