• In the quaint metropolis of Solstice, the beautiful night sky shone upon the opening of the only natural area left in the whole city, for that was the only place you could see such unworldly celestial bodies. As always from dusk to dawn, the park was filled with dozens of people, yet no one was there to take in the wonders of twilight. All waiting and watching in line as one after another crept into the little dark corner store.
    “Please, Wish-Maker Constantine, I beg of you! Return my son to me! He was kidnapped sixteen days ago, and I haven’t heard anything about his whereabouts since! The police said they must stop searching soon…” A hysterical woman gasped through violent burst of sobs, holding out a wallet-sized picture of a little boy with the words” John MacArthur” printed across.
    “I’ll pay anything to see my little Jonathan again…” Collapsing in a maroon padded chair, she raised her damp, sleep-deprived eyes across the desk.” Can you… help me?” She pounded her fist onto the side table crunching up a flier about Old Man Constantine’s store.
    A tired old man stared back at her blankly; his cold glazed-over eyes searching for the woman’s sanity. Not even trying to sympathize with the berserk mother, he began to write in a tattered old book, seeming to ignore her every cry. He abruptly stopped the movement in his right hand, placing his pencil down lightly beside the book and raised his head. Looking straight at the woman with stony intimidating eyes he declared:
    “I can get your son back, but at a high price. Are you sure about your wish?” Looking skeptically at her, Wish-Maker Constantine drew in a deep breath as the matron nodded in defeat. He spoke slowly, as if teaching a child his first words.” You say you will pay any price? Alright then, your son will come to your doorstep by tomorrow morning. Your payment however…” He paused, as if to think how to re-word his complex phrased into simple words.” Will be paid soon, but since your request is more sincere than other ones I’ve heard, the payment will be cut a little short. You will see what I mean in two days time. When you return to me the following night, I will explain more thoroughly.”
    Throwing out a dismissive hand towards the exit, the mother left through the small door with a look of relief in her eyes as another patron ventured in. For every wish that has been brought to Old Man Constantine, it has always come true some how. He is known everywhere in Solstice for his powers, yet no one ever speaks of the price they paid for him to grant it. If only she knew what the price was for her wish was…
    Two days later, the same woman came rushing through the line in order to talk to Old Man Constantine. Outrage in her voice, she screamed out swinging all of her anger into the door, constantly yelling” You said you would get my son back!”
    As Constantine turned around in his chair, he could see dozens of patrons outside trying to see what the ruckus was. Nosy people he thought. At least her wish was worth the risk. Instead of killing off your family in order to get an inheritance, you should learn a thing from this woman, although her wish wasn’t thought out entirely. He closed his eyes and drew in a solemn breath to block out the noise. As he opened his tired saggy eyes again, with the utmost care, he spoke.” You asked to see your son again, did you not? I have granted your wish to have him back, you never asked or noted that you wanted him alive or well. Am I correct Mrs.…? MacArthur was it?”
    A look of complete defeat crossed over Mrs. MacArthur face.” But I…” she started to whisper. Sobbing violently into her hands, she gasped for air every one and awhile, just sitting until she regained control. “They took my husband Harvey too! Please, return him back to me then! Alive!” Tears started to stream down her face once again.
    “I’m sorry miss, but that is not possible. It is the payment for your earlier wish before. I can not fulfill your current wish unless you would like to play the same price over again; which I’m sure you would not like to do. Perhaps next time, when given the opportunity to re-contemplate, you should make use of it. But know this Mrs. MacArthur; your husband will not die, although he might be in critical condition when he returns.”
    Mrs. MacArthur mourned sorrowfully on the very same seat she resided in two days earlier. As she rose in complete loss, Constantine exhaled with a tone of empathy as he muttered.” I can reverse the wish and go back in time if you like,” Her eyes widened in hope until he spoke the final phrases: “But that would require my death; as well as reverse all of the wishes I have granted with-in this year. Perhaps proof of my existence will be erased as well…” Falling to ruins as all hope was lost, she lethargically crawled out the door with her head down.
    Constantine pushed himself out of his chair with his frail body swaying up and over from a hard days work over to the door. If only I could die. I’ve lived through ten generations. I’ve been shot, stabbed, even poisoned, yet the only thing that can allow me to rest in peace is the one thing I desire most… Brooding over his past, he unconsciously started to close shop, until knocking rang throughout the building like gunshots.
    “Excuse me sir, I still haven’t had my wish heard yet!” a little girl whimpered through random outburst of shivering through the window in the door.
    “Oh my, dear, it’s seven in the morning, shouldn’t you be home with your family? It’s extremely dangerous in this part of Solstice. Here, come in and warm up.” Constantine unlocked the door one again and gestured the little girl inwards to his desk.” Now miss, since you’re here, what is it that you would like to be granted?” he sat down in his lounge handing her a cup of tea.
    “Well sir, actually I’m here to ask you what your wish is!” She turned her head towards the window facing the park. It’s grass beginning to illuminate from the sun just rising over the horizon. Turning her head back towards Constantine, she whispered,” And I’m not a little girl either!” As she finished her cup of tea, she sat staring at Constantine’s wrinkled face begin to soften.” I believe that if you do people good by granting their wishes,” the girl started to fidget as the sun began to rise higher over the horizon. “That it isn’t too much to ask that your wish to at least be heard!
    Constantine’s eyes began to widen and water as he saw this little girl who seemed so delicate transform into an old ridged woman right before his eyes. A faint memory exploded through his eyes of her, yet he could never recall ever meeting her.
    “Who...are you? You look so familiar, have I met you before?”
    Constantine’s features started to soften as the moons rays began to deplete from site. His wrinkles now gone showed off a handsome young adult full of tears.” Oh no… you’ve seen what I become, but…why and I crying?!” The tears just kept falling as he covered his face with his soft hands.
    “Oh dear.” The voice of an elderly lady echoed throughout the room, replacing the childlike tone. “My my, Old Man Constantine isn’t really old! Well son, tell me what your one wish is! Perhaps I could grant it for you. Just call me Granny, eh son?” Granny smiled a kind smile towards Constantine, who stopped weeping suddenly at the shock of her words.
    “My one wish? It is… to see my true mother. She abandoned me hundreds of years ago, along with my father. It’s a stupid simple wish that can’t easily be granted, but-“A deep sigh of grief left Constantine’s lips.” I just really want to die, and if I had even a single regret left, I just can’t. You’re the same as me, aren’t you? Loosing youth from every wish that’s made, but your appearance returns the what I should have been the day you had this curse granted on you only at dawn and dusk; except you gain youth, am I correct?”
    “Quite right dear! And I can grant your wish, of course it will require a price…But I’m sure you knew that already!” Granny just chuckled as Constantine nodded and headed towards the door with his coat in hand.” You know the procedure for this sort of thing eh? Well this is going to be tough on old Granny here see, so I can only let you two see each other for less than a minute before your price is completely paid and you change back! So make it worth while, before dawn is gone completely!”
    Constantine walked out of his home into the cold, brisk air, eager to finally rest in peace. I wonder…what did she look like before? Fidgeting as he stood in the park that he had known all his life, it just seemed right that he end there. A harsh wind erupted out form the north as the howling of the trees filled his ears. He stood frozen as he heard a whisper in the wind, seeming to call his name. Constantine…Constantine…
    “Are you… my son Constantine?”
    He turned sharply around to address the timid voice of a woman. He gazed stunned as the face a beautiful young woman started back at him, dressed in a light summer dress swaying in the brown and yellow leaves. She walked slowly towards her son, tears forming in her beautiful oak eyes.
    “Mother… is that... you?” He ran towards her slowly, embracing her cold stiff body.” Please, tell me one thing before we must part again… why did you leave me?”
    The sun started to illuminate the sky as dawn broke into colors of life. As soft as the leaves fell, Constantine’s mother spoke “I did not leave you-“
    A strong wind blew past as the moon was rendered completely useless from the sun. Leaves trickled past Constantine and his mother in quiet, solemn dances, seeming to say farewell to both of them. As his mother was about to speak once again, a harsh gust blasted past and Constantine fell to ashes. Everything that Constantine had ever granted was now erased. All of the friends he made had now forgotten him, and all the evidence of his existence was now gone. As the last remnants of his body were swirled throughout the city, all that was left behind was the winds soft voice calling “I died so you could live.”