Life Lessons

‘Of course we won’t get caught,’ I insisted, hoping my voice wouldn’t give away the secret hope that we would.

‘Are you sure?’ Even Astrid looked worried. She was usually the bravest of us all.

Behind her, back on the dusty road, Hannah played with the ends of her hair and Max was studying his shoes like he hadn’t even heard.

‘Sure I’m sure. And even if we do, so what? What will they do? What will anyone do? That’s the problem with the people in this town – no guts.’

My heart thumped. I could practically feel my blue eyes glow, and I had to sweep a hand across my forehead to hide the sweat. My fringe glinted gold in the afternoon sun – a look of purity and angels, my mother had always said, just perfect for the devil to play with. She was probably right.

I crouched back down and parted the thick grass, taking the shadows off what we’d found.

‘So – are you in?’

I didn’t wait for an answer, I didn’t really care if they were in or not, the excitement was crawling all over my body, attacking me from head to toe.

‘Touch it.’ I whispered, delicately placing the ends of my fingers on the mysterious box. ‘You know the story, it will only open if you touch it’ Hannah walked over and put her hand out and touched it. ‘I don’t believe the stories that are going round but if you do, I want to prove you wrong.’

The story going round the town was that hundreds of years ago a scientist made a container that couldn’t be opened unless four children touched it. No one knew what was inside the box, but it was said to change the lives of all four of the people that opened the box. It was never found but the police had warned that finding a box without a key must be handed in to them.

‘I’ll do it, but not because I believe in your bedtime story but because I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you see that you have dug up a dirty box with no value whatsoever.’ Astrid grunted with a look of unwillingness.

Jamie stood up and walked over. He had an emotionless expression on his face. ‘I think we should all use our imaginations right now. What if the stories are true? Then our lives will be totally transformed, I think.’

Slowly but confidently, Jamie lowered his hand down towards the box. ‘You don’t really believe it’s going to open do you?’ He asked me. I looked at him and I guess he got the message as he nodded with a worried smile. He thrust his hand down on the box.

A little light came on the side of the box. Then another and another until ten dull lights attached into a circle.

‘So much for a scientist.’ Astrid laughed sarcastically. ‘He could only make a few bulbs light up.’

Before she could finish, a loud rumbling came from inside the box.

‘Take your hands off, let’s see what happens.’ I had to shout over the rumbling that continued. Almost simultaneously we took our hands off.

The lid of the box came shooting off. Another ten lights lit up the inside of the box.

‘What did I tell you?’ The words spluttered out of my mouth.

Four neatly ripped bits of paper were inside. I passed one to everybody. Underneath, written on the bottom of the box, was an instruction;

“With the quills provided, write one wish. Fold the paper in half. Throw the paper into the box. Pick out a piece of paper. You will not get the same wish you threw in. I will grant each of you the wish that you pick out.”

Each of us wrote down a wish that we wanted, knowing in the back of our minds that our dreams would not become reality, but that didn’t stop us, we were young and seeking adventure. Once we were all finished, we chucked our paper into the box. It made a chilling noise which sounded like that of a wolf wailing wildly under the moon.

We all picked out the same paper trying to outsmart the box, but each of the wishes had changed.

First was my wish. It read; “I wish to live a human life until the world ends” I loved my wish, it would have been my second choice after my wish.

Then there was Astrid. Her wish said; “I wish I could have wings and fly wherever I want.” She looked shocked, but then she changed her mind and looked quite content with her wish.

“I wish I was famous and had lots of money.” That was the wish that Hannah had received. Hannah didn’t think there could be many things that were better than being rich, and she had always wanted to be an actress.

Lastly Jamie’s wish; “I wish I was King so that I could rule over everyone.” Jamie was always emotionless and nothing was shown from his expression but I think he was secretly thrilled.

Everyone was amused with the wish that they had picked out of the box. We put it back in the hole that we had dug up and put the soil back in. From now on our wishes were ‘in use’.

I would live until the world ended.

Big, fluffy wings came bursting out of Astrid’s back as she flew off into the distance.

Without warning, several people came running over into a crowd, asking for autographs and taking pictures of Hannah.

And in an instant, four men in red gowns whisked Jamie away and he was then the king ruling over everyone.

Regrets. People our age get into trouble, they do things that will affect their future but they don’t understand the true meaning of regret.

Jamie was just too young and vulnerable to go to other countries and discuss things with older, more experienced world leaders. Also he was not popular with the public. He went missing 2 years later and has thought to have fled to the south of France.

Hannah couldn’t stand being famous. She had to go to parties until late at night, she had to make movies which tired her out and she couldn’t do one thing wrong without an outcry in the papers and on the news. She went on a talk show one night, young and tired and said she hated all her fans and couldn’t stand being famous. As a result, no one turned up to the premiere of her new film and, much to her joy, became no longer known as a celebrity.

To have wings was not up to Astrid’s expectations. The sky was cold and the wings that bulged out her back were uncomfortable. People that passed her laughed at her and she was horrified at the unattractiveness of the wings. She tried to remove the wings with garden shears and was in so much pain she had to go to hospital and was there for 4 months.

But then there was me. To begin with, I loved the idea of not dying, but being 365 years old is terrifying. For a start, I can’t move out my wheelchair, I can’t talk easily and I have had to suffer the deaths of my children, grandchildren and even a great-grandchild. Consequently, I am a withered, old freak-of-nature, filled with nothing but regrets from the afternoon that we found the ancient box.

I never knew as a teenager the choices made when you are young could affect your adult life so much and I know that things that seem too good to be true usually are too good to be true.