WISHES
by
Duckling
Chapter 6
The Chapters
The
day passed in excruciating slowness for the three teens. Finally, after he
had successfully negotiated his way into an early escape from his
mother’s dinner, Frank pulled up in front of Callie’s house, where the
two girls were outside waiting.
He
waited as the girls quickly clambered inside and settled into the back
seat before turning the van around and heading out to the old abandoned
house. He noticed that Callie didn’t claim her usual place in the front
passenger seat and was secretly glad. Until they had Joe back safe and
sound, he wasn’t too keen to be around her.
No
one spoke as they drove through the dark Bayport streets and out past the
suburbs to the countryside. He glanced once into the rearview mirror to
see Vanessa staring out the window while Callie fidgeted with the small
bag holding the lamp.
Once
at the old house, the three teens silently slipped out of the van and
headed inside. Each was anxious to bring Joe back. They descended the dark
stairs to the cellar, guided only by the beam of Frank’s flashlight. The
dust still bore the traces of their earlier visit: three sets of
footprints, three smudges where each had stood. Frank felt his stomach
clench as he thought of the fourth set of footprints that ought to have
been there.
The
silence that enveloped the teens remained unbroken, as Callie set about to
warm up the lamp. She had read enough about this type of lamp to know that
she couldn’t just pick it up, rub it once, and expect a wish to be
granted. Rather, it took time and patience to awaken the genie that
resided within.
After
what she considered a sufficient length of time, as she continued to rub
the lamp, she broke the silence with her wish: “I wish Joe Hardy would
come back.”
The
teens strained in the darkness with anticipation. Surely, something should
happen, shouldn’t it? Seconds, then minutes ticked by, and yet nothing
happened. Callie shot a desperate glance at the others. Why wouldn’t the
lamp respond?
“Maybe
you haven’t rubbed it hard enough,” Vanessa whispered, her voice tight
with anxiety.
Callie
nodded her head and set about to rubbing the lamp harder. Frank remained
silent. After about ten minutes, she tried again.
“I
wish Joe Hardy would come back.”
Again,
the trio tensed for some response from the lamp. But none came. Trembling,
Callie looked at the others helplessly. “I don’t know why it won’t
work. Why hasn’t Joe come back?” the blonde cried out in frustration.
Because
you wished him away forever.
The response reverberated off the cellar walls, chilling the teens with
the implications of its finality.
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Disclaimer
The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.