Wishing Well

The little girl approached the edge of the wishing well cautiously. Standing on her tippy toes, she peered over the rim and stared down into the darkness far below. It looked like any ordinary well but her big brother, Adam, told her it was a magical wishing well. Adam was already ten, so if he said it was magic, then it had to be true. She took a step back and looked around. She was standing at the center of a clearing. Flowers grew in patches at the base of the well. She liked the red flowers. Once she made her wish, she will pick some flowers for mommy. Mommy loves yellow flowers but she will like the red ones too. The little girl looked back at the wishing well. She dug her hand into her pocket for the penny Adam had given her earlier that morning. Clutching her penny tightly, she stretched her arm out over the well. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and made her wish. “I wish the monster would go away. I wish the monster would go away. Please, please, please make the monster go away.” Her nose crinkled in concentration and her lips traced every word as she thought of her wish. Eyes still squeezed shut, she uncurled her fingers and dropped her penny into the well.