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As I think he’s about to open it with the key, he begins to speak in tongues. He pulls a bag of powder out of his pants pocket and throws it over the box, reciting the exact phrase repeatedly.
“Desiderium meum implebitur, desiderium meum implebitur.”
I watch him skeptically and hold my necklace tightly. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to know what he’s saying. Or what’s in that box.
He opens the box and pulls out a small statue. I peer over his shoulder to discern the figure but can’t tell what it is.
He turns and shows it to me, holding it carefully in his hands. It’s a statue of a demon holding up three fingers, and I see its fangs protrude from the obsidian material and get chills up my spine.
He holds it like a woman would a newborn infant. I glance at him with suspicion and intrigue.
“What is that?” I ask.
“This …” he approaches me and motions for me to open my hands, I do, and he places it in them gently, clasping my hands over it, “… is an exceptional stone, coveted by many.” He looks deeply into my eyes. “It will grant you your heart’s desire.”
I scoff, skeptical of this claim. I’ve seen authentic magic practiced in the world many times, but this seems outlandish. “My heart’s desire?”
He nods, and I open my hands to look at the statue. I feel drawn to it, almost like a magnetic pull. My chest explodes with excitement and interest at this small glimmer of hope for my life to change.
I look at him intensely and feel a strange trance wash over me. I hand him the statue and reach around to unclip my necklace. I look down at it in my hands and think of my father. Then, I think of my mother and how badly he would want her to heal. He wouldn’t want us to have this life, a string of days that feels like a life prison sentence.
“Fine,” I say, handing him my necklace.
He gives me the statue and admires the necklace with a creepy, almost obsessive stare. I am too entranced by the stone to care much for his odd ways.
“You’ve made a worthy bargain,” he exclaims, looking at me with fire in his eyes.
I nod and begin to leave the tent.
“Girl,” he calls out. I turn to face him.
“Whatever you decide,” he pauses, and a sense of darkness flutters through his eyes. “Be careful.”
I heed the warning and leave the tent, looking down at the statue. The crowd passes me by as I examine every carving in this strange demon’s body. I wonder how to use it. I hadn’t even thought to ask him. I decide to put it on my bedside table for a few days to figure out my exact wording. I’ve heard of the tricky nature of magical requests.
A crowd member pushes my shoulder back, and I fumble the statue as I fall to the ground. I land on my hands, watching the stone shatter in front of me. My heart races and panic flows through my veins as I reach for the fragments, desperately wanting to piece them back together.
“I’m so sorry,” a man said, bending down to help me stand.
I waved him away as I touched the statue. I see a bit of red liquid run over the demon’s face and realize I’d cut my hand. The blood takes an interesting course through the pieces, even though they are separated. I watched in awe.
“What is your heart’s desire?”I hear a strange whisper echo through my mind.
I close my eyes and think of a love story like the ones my father had told me as a girl. A savior destined to save his one true love. I imagine being courted, appreciated, and loved by another.
I shake the thought from my mind as I open my eyes and watch the statue crumble and blow away with the wind.
“No,” I plead, trying to rescue the pieces.
I needed to work on my wording. I wanted to help my mother and the farm, but that wasn’t my true wish. I needed more time. My heart sank as I realized how selfish my request was.
The sky suddenly darkened, and the ground shook beneath my hands. I stood and looked at the black clouds rolling in. I hear fearful chatter race through the crowd.
“The wizard has angered the Thirteen! We’re doomed! Run!” I hear a man yell behind me.
The crowd screams and scatters. I stay frozen with my feet planted firmly on the vibrating earth. Lightning crackled through the clouds, and thunder overcomes the sound of the crowd yelling.
A lightning strike hit near my feet, and I jumped back, adrenaline pulsing through my being. I can see smoke rise before me, and I turn to cough as it fills my lungs.
