The Wishing Well

Written for the picture worth a thousand words contest
 
    Tommy awoke in the dead of night, and his 4-year-old face puckered into a frown.  What was that noise?  He listened for a minute, his eyes closed.  There it came again.

         “Tommmyyy,” whispered the trees.  Tommy slipped out of bed, sliding his bare feet into a pair of slippers.  He cautiously made his way around the squeaky floorboard in his room and over to the window.  All was still outside, without a breath of wind, and the moon was bright and full in the sky.  He looked down, and saw a little girl about his age, standing at the edge of the forest.  She was dressed all in white, and her light blond hair gleamed faintly in the moonlight.

         “Tommy!  Come down! I want to show you something!” She called.  Tommy nodded, enchanted by this strange girl.  He made his way downstairs, and silently opened the front door.

         The little girl beckoned him over.

         “Good,” she said, “I’m glad you’re dressed right.”  Tommy glanced down, and with some surprise saw that he was also dressed in white, the same as the girl.

         “Who are you?” he asked shyly.

         “I’m Kira,” she answered, walking into the forest.  Tommy glanced around nervously and hurried to catch up with her.

         “Where are we going?”

         “A very special place,” Kira said, stopping suddenly.  “Here, you don’t want to get lost on the way back,” she said, pulling out a loaf of bread from seemingly nowhere.  “Tear off a piece and drop it on the ground.  That way, you can find your way back.”

         “Like Hansel and Gretel?” Tommy asked, giggling.

         “Exactly, like Hansel and Gretel,” Kira agreed, smiling, “Except the birds won’t eat our bread.” 

    They continued on, Kira leading the way, and Tommy ripping off and dropping pieces of the bread.  Gradually, as they traveled farther, the forest began to change.  The trees lost all signs of life, becoming black and charred, as if a fire had swept through recently.  Cold, pale, light filtered through the trees.  Tommy was beginning to get tired, and his feet hurt because he had lost his slippers on the way.  Kira was barefoot as well, but she didn’t seem to mind the hard ground or sharp needles.  Finally, Tommy stumbled to a stop, too tired to go on.

         “Kira,” he whimpered, “I want to go home.  I’m tired and it’s scary out here.”  Kira stopped, and turned to face him, taking hold of his hand.  She stood in a patch of moonlight, and a glow seemed to radiate from deep within her.

         “Tommy,” she asked quietly, “do you trust me?”  Tommy looked into her dark blue eyes, and nodded.

         “Then come with me.  It’s not much farther, and I promise I’ll keep you safe,” she said gently.  She walked a few steps away, and Tommy reluctantly followed. 

    They walked through the forest for what seemed like hours, until Kira finally stopped.

         “Here we are,” she said softly.  Tommy looked up, coming out of his exhausted stupor, and saw that they were standing in front of an old stone well.

         “Do you know what this is, Tommy?”  The little boy shook his head.  “It’s a wishing well.  If you throw a penny in, it’ll grant you a wish.”

         “I don’t have a penny,” Tommy said forlornly.

         “That’s okay,” Kira said, and suddenly, in the palm of her hand, there appeared a shiny white coin.  “No ordinary penny would work anyway.  You have to have one of these.”  She knelt at the edge of the well. 

    “You’re going to be five tomorrow, aren’t you?” she asked.  Tommy nodded.  “Well, every year, the night before your birthday, come to this well, and I’ll be here.  Whatever you want most at that moment, the well will give you if you throw in one of these coins.  You can think of it as my birthday present to you,” Kira said, her expression rather sad.

         “Does that mean I get to make a wish now?” Tommy asked, and Kira nodded, holding out her hand.  He took the coin, and with his eyes squeezed tightly shut, he dropped the coin into the dark depths of the well.  He opened his eyes, and glanced down, giving a gasp of delight; on his feet were a pair of brand new fuzzy green slippers!  Kira smiled.

         “I guarantee that you’ll never loose these slippers, nor outgrow them,” she said.  Briefly Kira glanced at the sky, and with a frown, saw that the moon was going down.  She took Tommy firmly by the shoulders.

         “I have to go now, Tommy, but don’t worry; the bread trail will guide you back home safely.  Don’t forget: every night before your birthday, come to the wishing well and I’ll be waiting.”  She gave him a brief hug and turned to walk away.  Tommy, his face creased with uncertainty, called out.

         “How do I get back here?” 

Kira turned back towards him, flashing one last smile.

         “When the time is right, Tommy, you’ll know how.  Trust me.” 
She gave a slight wave, and disappeared.  Tommy sniffled, but seeing the long white trail of bread crumbs, his expression brightened.  He followed it back to his house, where he crept into bed.  Tommy fell asleep, a smile on his face, knowing that this had been a night like no other.