Wish
by
Tony Fogarty
copyright 1993
A brilliant blue shaft of light pierced the final deflector shield on the IMPRAK tactical fighter. Slowly, the whole fighter was enveloped in a shroud of purple incandescence as the life force inside the ship dissipated silently into the vacuum of space around it.
"GAME OVER", made it official.
The dishevelled youth turned away and sniffed.
"I needed a smoke anyway," he said, sounding vague. He disentangled a partially crushed packet of cheap cigarettes from the sleeve of his AC/DC emblazoned T-shirt.
"You want one Squirt?" he said.
The younger boy looked up at the youth and attempted to sneer, not very convincingly. "Nah Turtle, it's my turn now."
"No Squirt, it's my turn again."
Squirt was indignant. "But you just had a go!"
"Yeah, but I beat your score so I go first this time!"
"Aw crap, Turtle, it's my go."
"I said it's my go Bro'."
"Turtle. it's my go!", said Squirt, his adolescent voice rising in pitch.
"No Squirt, it's your go!"
"Aw c'mon, it's your go."
"O.K. Squirt, if you insist". Turtle hung the cigarette between his lips and pushed two more coins into the video-machine. "Thanks, mate!"
Squirt scratched his head. His big brother had done it again. He picked up his scruffy denim jacket and wandered over to a coffee table.
For three months, they had lived off the street, and not very well. They learned very quickly how to shoplift clothes, cheap jewellery or anything else they could sell to generate enough cash to survive, but it was tough. Squirt was twelve years old. He had been in the same pair of jeans since he and Turtle had left home nearly six weeks ago. He desperately wanted, no, make that needed a shower.
A yell from Turtle brought him back to the dingy video-game hall. His big brother was casting doubts upon the marital status of the video-machine's parents. As he buffeted the machine, an empty cool drink bottle left above the screen by a previous player, crashed to the floor. A burly attendant came quickly across the hall, and with one beefy arm, propelled Turtle toward the door. "Take off Dopey!", he said.
Turtle opened his mouth to retort, but the bouncer raised his fist. "Careful boy." He said . His tone was distinctly menacing.
"Come on Squirt." Turtle walked out onto the footpath.
It was getting late, twilight in the city. They walked down an alley, kicking anything that looked like it needed to be kicked.
A metallic blue bottle with gold and silver computer-style etchings rolled into their path. Squirt picked it up and examined the markings. "Could this be worth something", he said, hopefully. He looked at his brother.
"Doubt it", said Turtle. "It looks like an old wine bottle."
Disheartened, Squirt looked up at the indigo sky, his stomach rumbled. "Geez I'm hungry, I wish I had a Double Beef Whopper."
A brilliant blue shaft of light burst from the neck of the bottle. The boys froze, and as the light spread to form a cloud of purple incandescence in front of them, a deep voice surrounded them.
"Your wish is my honour."
The cloud slowly dissipated to reveal a table for two set with two Double Beef Whoppers with cheese, a large fries and two large chocolate thickshakes.
"What the heck!" Turtle gaped. Squirt stood behind Turtle, his mouth moving but nothing coming out. Beside the table stood Michael J Fox's twin brother, wearing a 'Hungry Jacks' manager's uniform.
"Well, are you guys going to eat this , or would you rather wish up something more exotic. Perhaps a meat pie and sauce."
The sarcasm was lost on the boys.
Turtle was speechless.
Squirt ventured forward and asked; "What is this, where did you come from, how..., when...?"
The man smiled. "I love it. Happens every time. Squirt, you have my bottle, you made the first of your three wishes. Here it is, as ordered."
"Three wishes?" Squirt mumbled.
"That's what I said."
"I told you", said the Hungry Jacks manager. "You have my bottle!" He sounded a tad irritated.
Turtle regained a little composure, but only a little. "Squirt! How did you do that?"
"I don't know!" said Squirt defensively. "We might be on 'Funniest Home Video' or something!" They both looked around suspiciously.
"Try it again. Get us a room at the Sheraton", said Turtle. "But if this is true, we'll only have one wish left!"
"This is crazy Squirt. It's not real. We must have food poisoning or malnutrition or something. Go on, test him, get us that room."
"Yeah, O.K. Turtle." Squirt wished again, and again, a brilliant blue shaft of light burst from the bottle in Squirt's hand. Another purple incandescent cloud formed and settled about the startled brothers.
Turtle cried out."It's gas! We're being poisoned!" He grabbed Squirt protectively and tried to fan away the cloud. "Hold your breath!"
Slowly, the cloud dissipated, and the boys stared at their surroundings. They were no longer in the alley. Instead, they stood before two luxurious single beds in the most opulently furnished room they had ever seen. A colour television, a bar stocked with every kind of soft drink or chocolate bar imaginable and a half open door which led to a bathroom with monogrammed towels removed any doubt about where they were. A trolley between the beds bore a full silver dinner service upon which were two Double Beef Whoppers with cheese, a large fries and two large chocolate thickshakes. Out the window, they could see across the Swan River to South Perth.
"That's two!"
They both spun around to see the man in a butler's outfit.
"There is one more left, and a warning. If you take the third wish, you lose the other two." He smiled. "You have one minute to decide."
Squirt sat on one of the beds, Turtle wandered over to the window. The aroma of flame grilled hamburger was heavy in their nostrils.
"Nice view Craig."
Squirt looked over to his brother. Turtle hadn't called him Craig since they started this crazy adventure, and they had both made up their nicknames. He thought of home, their Mum and Dad, his own bedroom.
"Steven, if we don't take the third wish, we can have our Whoppers and stay in this room", said Squirt.
"Or, if we take the third wish", said Turtle, "we can give this up for something we really want."
Squirt looked around the room. The novelty of the lavish features was rapidly evaporating.
"I know what I want Steven."
"Yeah, me too. I thought I'd like living like those other kids. Freedom, no rules, no parents, no homework. But, the street really is the pits. And I miss Mum and Dad. You wanna go home?"
"Yep!" said Squirt, his eyes bright.
"Me too!" said Turtle. "Do it Bro', and don't call me Turtle ever again. I hate it!"
"And don't call me Squirt!", laughed Craig.
They stood together and gazed out over the sleeping city, lights twinkling at them. They held the bottle between them, and spoke.
"We wish we were home." A brilliant blue shaft of light burst from the neck of the bottle, and as the familiar purple cloud of incandescence surrounded them, they faded from the room.
GAME OVER.