“Yo! Are you done packing yet?” shouts your mom. You roll your eyes, and without answering her, you hop in the van. For the next three days, you and your family are going on a trip to a nearby village. You have heard whispers about how wonderful the village is and also the forest next to it, which can grant any wish.

As the van drives away from your home, you plug in your earphones and turn on noise cancellation. You let your eyes slowly close and rest...

Before you even realize it, the tires screech and you arrive at the village. The kind villagers and the rich scent of flowers all welcome you with open arms. Interestingly, you catch a glimpse of a black bird on top of a roof, staring at you. It’s just another everyday bird, right? If you had better vision, you would’ve noticed that it’s a crow.

“Check out this old house!” screams your little sister. Her name is Clara and she’s just an average little sister. You turn to your mom, who was already staring at you with the “be a good brother” look. Without a choice, you sigh and walk next to Clara.

“Hey. Who do you think lives there?”

Even though your sister was pointing at the old house, your eyes couldn’t stop peeping at the forest next to the village. This was THE place! The forest that grants wishes.

“Hello hello hello?” Clara says, in an annoyed tone. “So like, what you looking at? Don’t tell me you’re going to explore the area.”

Of course, you didn’t want to worry your sister, so you reply, “Nah. Ain’t nobody got time to explore that.” Deep in your heart, there is already a detailed step-by-step plan on how to sneak out of the house your family rented and run into the forest.

As hours pass and the moon starts rising, the village grew quiet, so you immediately dash to your room. Knowing that your mom would check on you, you brush your teeth faster than you ever could and tuck yourself into bed, trying to brainstorm the wishes you would make once you get there. A superpower? Unreleased games? Unlimited money? Unlike your body, your mind stays active and hardworking...

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Usually, this noise would be for school, but now, it’s for something way better. You switch out of your pajamas and creep out of the house.

As you step outside, the cool air fills your lungs. Huffing and puffing, you eventually make it to the very edge of the village. The tall trees tower over you, and their long, skinny branches whisper in the night. Each step you venture into the dark forest, the more the village fades away in the background.

Just as you are about to take another step, a crow suddenly lands on a nearby branch. Its black wings glowed under the bright moonlight. The crow tilts its head, staring at you with its green eyes. An electrical current tingles your veins, and you feel like you have a connection with the crow, as if it knows your destiny.

“Hey...” A soft female voice echoed through the woods, dragging your attention away from the crow.

Wishes! You thought. Focus now. You turn to follow the voice into the woods. The deeper in the forest you venture, the more whispers you can hear around you.

“Hey...” The voice calls again. The more curious you get, the faster you walk towards the voice, trying to uncover the secrets in the depth of the forest.

With a heart full of excitement and a little bit nervous, you take a big breath and keep walking. Without even looking, you hear the crow flapping its wings above your head. The foggy air along with the scent of earth and moss guides you on your way to perhaps a wish to fulfill all of your dreams.

“Hey...” The voice calls again, sounding closer than ever. It’s almost like you can feel the presence of the female beside you.

You stop and feel a chill on your skin. The weather was cool before, but now it feels frigid. A fur blanket descends from the tree tops and wraps itself across your shoulders.

“Better?” the voice asks.

Your excitement turns to panic. Do you continue or do you return? You really want to make a wish, but the voice and the fur blanket are more than you expect. But the blanket is a friendly gesture, so why are you worried?

“Do you not want your wish?” the voice felt as if it came from inside his head.

The wish. Well, yes, you want your wish.

As you push through the bushes, you make it the center of the forest where there is an ancient stone altar covered in moss and vines.

“You are here,” the voice said. “All wishes must be paid for before they can be granted. But first: what do you truly desire?”

Your mind speeds….What do you desire? You had wanted to find the wishing well, but you had not thought about the wish.

“How do I pay for a wish?”

“Before I answer, you must tell me what you desire.”

“I…I don’t know. Can you help me?”

“No. No one can help you find your desire.”

“I desire unlimited wishes.”

“Clever boy. But that is not allowed.”

“Fine. Then how about being immortal?”

“Do you really want to live forever? See your family die, your friends die, and you will be alive but ancient–and you will look horrible. Living forever, but still aging.” The crow flapped its wings and flew to the top of a tree and continued speaking: “Immortality is not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“Should I desire to be invisible?”

“Granted!”

Your body tingles as the atoms and molecules disappear. Where once you stood, now no one, not even the crow, can see you. You cannot see yourself either, so you know the wish came true.

Your clothes, however, are still seen. They appear to be floating in the air. They are dirty and covered in mud. The crow and his constant talking have left you. You think it is because the crow cannot see you, but in reality, the crow’s job is done. The crow does not need to see you to know that you will not be happy as an invisible man.

You march and sing to yourself an old nursery rhyme: “Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”

You walk into the village, still singing, but you do not realize that your clothes are floating. Villagers see the clothes, hear the singing, and they are frightened. Most runaway, but the village leader, with a bat in his hands, approaches you.

“What the hell?” the village leader spits out.

“It’s just me.” But no sound comes out. You hear the words in your head, but not aloud. You did not know that with invisibility came silence.

The village leader gripped the bat tighter. You see that he’s thinking about hitting you. You speak again, trying to calm him, but no sound. You wave your arms, and he hits you with the bat.

The clothes, you realize, give you away. The village leader swings at the clothes and hits you again. As more blood covers the muddy shirt, you start sprinting towards your cabin.

You enter through the front door. You grab a notebook from the table along with a pencil and begin writing. Your parents come down and see the pencil and notebook in the air. The pencil is moving by itself and words appear like magic on the paper. Your dad reaches into the closet, bringing out a shotgun. Your mother jumps up and down, screaming. You speak, telling them it is you, but they can’t hear.

As your own father pulls the trigger at you, you close your eyes and can hear nothing but the crow’s voice, “Be careful what you wish for...”