Emma had been in the forest walking slowly, looking around with a dim expression. Observing scenes as if she was trying to memorize them forever.
It was already noon, Emma headed to the golden pond, occasionally stopping for no apparent reason. She didn't want to go, she really, really didn't. But she had done so.
The golden pond looked like it had trapped the sun. Emma took a seat on the floor, staring at it intensely.
The only thing that Emma was thinking about, was Luna. She hadn't even cared for the pond changing color due to the sun like before, now she just sat in silence with the cold Wishing Box in hand.
"It's time, there's no point in delaying it." Emma gripped the suitcase towards her chest. But then Emma remembered there was one thing she had wanted to do first.
Emma went on her phone, she immediately went to text someone, it was a contact called "Mom" and messaged her.
Emma: I'm sorry.
In just a few seconds her mother responded.
Mom: What for?
Emma just turned off her phone, and looked up towards the sky, it looked pretty, so very pretty. It made her wonder. Why exactly hadn't she sat there and looked at the sky before? It was so beautiful. She also wondered, how did the sky become the sky?
Just then Emma had discovered something she really wanted to do. To explore the cosmos, the unlimited space, and unlimited adventure! Emma was disappointed in herself, she couldn't do so because of what she had done.
It wouldn't be fair if she did. Luna probably had something she really wanted to do, but now she can't. All because of Emma.
Emma wanted to ask her mother something, it had been within Emma's mind her entire life. Emma's dad had long left her, and she hadn't known why. In fact, the only thing that Emma knew about her father was that he was a twisted man.
"Now I'll do it. Sorry Luna, I didn't mean to hurt you, well not kill you at least. But I can make up for my mistakes, and I know you'll love that."
"For my mistakes I am willing to pay you back." Emma said in a hushed voice, a quiet voice.
"I wish to die." A silence suddenly appeared; a cold dark silence had swelled up in her heart. This silence had always been there, but now it seemed more apparent to her. The silence had a smell, and it smelled of bitterness.
Emma was engulfed by this silence, patiently waiting for her demise.
But it had not come.
"Why isn't it working? Didn't I wish for it?" Emma's face had looked like two rivers flowing down from it, she suddenly got up from her spot, and tossed the Wishing Box down with all her strength.
"I WISH TO DIE!" Emma continuously chanted, stomping on the metallic suitcase, making a certain rhythm of agony. Her gaze had only seemed to notice the box, regarding all other things, including the guy standing in the pond.
"I mean that's a pretty bad wish, but if you wish for it, it could be granted." A calm male voice announced.
Emma looked up, stopping her actions. There was a tall guy with a patched long-sleeved jacket, and half a pair of black glasses on his right eye that looked like it was going to fall right at this moment. The man's skin had looked exactly like her own, even sharing the same birthmark on her knuckle.
The full-grown man with a beard and neatly combed hair had suddenly come near her, causing Emma to step back. The odd man had grabbed the suitcase off the floor and begun rubbing it against his coat.
"Sheesh, no care for other people's property huh." The man laughed with a gleeful smile. "You did return it though. I thought this thing was lost forever! Now for your prize. I'll grant you any wish you could possibly dream of, even killing yourself, even if it sucks like pig butt."
The sudden appearance of the guy had spooked Emma, and now she suddenly could get a wish of anything she wanted. This world is truly so random! She had wanted the prize before, but now she hadn't even thought about it when she came here. The only reason she came here now was so that this guy could get back his box before she killed herself.
"Could I, could you undo a wish?" Emma asked, trying to rack her brains back togther.
"Sure, why not? What is it that you want undone?"
"I killed someone, I wished for her to have the same death as an ant I accidently stepped on, and it happened." Emma looked towards the guy like he was a shining star, an unprecedented hope. "Could you bring her back to life? The wishing box on its own could do magical things, it even replaced an ant's death with a human one, so could it make a dead person living again. Right?"
"I'm offended you even had to ask if I could! But~ bringing someone back to life isn't as easy as killing them, actually it's almost impossible. So hard that I'm going to be needing something from you in return for this wish."
"Become my little helper, little homeless girl! And I'll find a way to break the laws that have been enforced since existence was a thing just for you! Or try to!"
"Of course, you're going to have to do a whole bunch of things for me first. it wouldn't be nice for me if I just let you get stuff without me getting anything in return." The guy announced with a smirk that covered his entire face.
Emma couldn't help but look cluelessly at the odd man, wasn't this supposed to be a prize for finding the Wishing Box? It doesn't matter though, her wish could be undone! Luna could live, Emma could say sorry! She was naturally excited, relieved, and happy about this. How could she not want this wish?!
"I'm not homeless though. "Emma just noticed what he had called her and felt a bit offended.
"Oh, so what is an unbrushed hair, dirty clothes, sad looking child doing all the way in the middle of a forest then?" The wishing star replied with a hasty smile, pointing towards mud stains that Emma accumulated while helpless exploring for what she thought to be her last time.
"... I guess, I do look homeless then, do I?." Emma laughed, it was like she had forgotten everything that had happened, her heart did not feel bitter, instead it was like a pond of delights had been born in the middle of an ocean of sorrow.
"Let's do it. As long as I get that wish, I'm willing to do anything."
"Before I let you, I must warn you. The jobs you will be doing won't be nice in the slightest. If killing someone made you want to kill yourself, then these things will make you want to kill yourself a thousand times. It will be horribly painful. Are you still willing to do it knowing all this?" The guy asked with a serious expression, his glasses nearly fell off, but stopped itself from doing so.
"I understand. No matter what happens I am willing to endure it for my wish!" Emma shouted at the man, who responded with a small giggle.
"Alright, let's see if you keep true to your word then." The guy had reached a hand to Emma, and she grabbed his hand like she was a strict businesswoman who had come to a deal.
In less than a second, they were gone from their original spot, they were in the middle of a forest of spiral trees, it was bright too. Emma felt like head had been stabbed, the next moment she fell, it was like someone had placed a 1,000-pound weight on her back, she was being crushed.
She felt like her head was light, she could barely breathe. The air had smelt like something she hadn't ever smelled before. It hurt, she was dying.