~~***~~
This time she was sitting cross legged on the ground as I approached, ruffling the fur of the big black dog almost twice her size. She was wearing a simple red hooded dress
“Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon,” she quipped. Oh, I was pretty sure she knew she’d be seeing me again. “Sorry you caught me at a bad time. Was doing some Halloween shopping. Like the dress?” she said as she got up and twirled around, presenting her outfit. “I’m Red Riding Hood. Ripper is going as the Big Bad Wolf.”
“You lied,” I said, ignoring her.
“Pardon me?”
“About the wish, you lied.”
“Now, now. I’ve been called many things before,” she started, coming closer. “And well, yeah a liar’s one of them. But I did exactly as you wished.”
“That wasn’t what I wished for!” I raised my voice.
“Oh no?” she waved her hand. In my mind’s eye, the conversation from when we last met replayed itself. “As you can see,” she said, slowly phrasing the next words as my character said them in the flashback. “You wished all of this had never happened and you went back in time before any of it had ever occurred. Poor choice of words but that’s exactly what you said. And poof! I sent you back before the accident.”
“Rubbish, that’s not what I meant,” I retorted. I knew however, in my heart of hearts that she was right. “You manipulated me.”
“Oh, boo hoo,” she grunted, waving her hand and snapping me back to the present. “You made a mistake. Everyone does,” she continued stroking the fur on Ripper’s neck. “But at least you can undo it. Not many people have that chance.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “You just want me to give you more years,” I referred to what seemed now like a rather lopsided deal. Especially when she was taking artistic license with my wishes.
“Such is the nature of business,” she said. “Darling I’ve been doing this since before your ancestors were specks in the ocean. I take any advantage I can get,” she paused.
“That doesn’t work for me.”
“Not like you have a choice,” she reminded me. “You either take my way, or wait around here and lament how this night could’ve gone. Good on you by the way, trying to spice up your little union with naughty games. Too bad he couldn’t stay awake long enough though.” She was now trying to goad me into using another wish.
“That’s not going to work on me,” I replied, defiant.
“You know what else isn’t gonna work?” she asked as she drew close. “Your marriage,” she hissed in my ear. I pushed her away. She giggled as she fell back into a sitting position on the ground. Her body was both warm and clammy at the same time, like a reptile basking in the sun. “Look, you’re a nice girl, so I’m just gonna give you some advice. First, never make deals with people loitering in dark corners. Second, make your next wish. It’s the only way out of this.” I looked at her. Her appearance was totally at odds with her manipulative nature.
“And what if I don’t want to?” I replied, defiant.
“And let Morgan die? When you have the ability to change it all?” she stroked her chin. “Just to avoid losing more years of your life? Wow I misjudged you. You’re more selfish than I thought. You’re a woman after my own heart,” the insult was biting. And against my better judgment, it was what it took to push me over the edge.
“Fine!” I yelled. She looked please as she rocked back and forth in anticipation, hands playfully clutching her ankles.
“Go on,” she urged. “I wish…” she prompted.
“I wish,” I hesitated again, just as I had done during my first wish. “I wish that Morgan and I both survive the accident, we’re both safe and sound, back home, still married and happy together.”
She stroked her chin again, no doubt thinking of how she might mess up the wish. “It isn’t exactly a variation of your first wish,” she said, referring to her earlier rule. “But I’ll allow it,” she crossed her arms in a perversion of the wholesome I Dream of Jeannie and nodded. There it was again. That sinister grin.
Light started to fill my vision again as my eyeballs threatened to melt in their sockets. My throat ran parched and searing hot as my stomach churned and did somersaults. Ripper let out another mournful howl as I felt wind swirling around me like some kind of transformation from a discount Disney movie. Before I knew it, I was out cold again.