W I S H E S
                                                  Time: Dec. 1996
                                                    Setting: Peru

     It was early in the evening, as Marcus Stringer was replying to a message that
"Unicorn" had sent him. She was replying to message he had sent her the other day about
some disturbed feelings he'd had dealing with a girl from school that were not very
pleasant.
     It was later in the evening in Peru, as Jessalyn Ramses was replying to a message
that "Flyer" had sent her. He was replying to message she had sent him the other day
about the fun she'd had at the awards ceremony the other night.
     "Flyer" was talking about how lonely he felt, and "Unicorn" was doing the best she
could to cheer him up. It was difficult, she realised, as it was true that she felt the same
way.
     Marcus Stringer felt very sad for some reason that night. He'd been dreaming again,
this time of romance, and somehow in the conversation it came up again just how much
the two of them wanted to meet one another in reality. They would talk and talk about it,
but in the end, they both knew it was impossible. He lives in Utah, she lived in Peru.
Different sides of the planet, seperated by an impervious wall of distance.
     He loved chatting with her, because she always seemed to make him feel better.
She was always there. She understood things about him that no one else understood,
before they had even met. He'd receive her picture in the mail, and loved the look of her,
and tended to carry her picture around with him everywhere he went. His not-so-imaginary
friend.
     She loved his quarky humor and his sensititvity. He was a great friend, and she
hoped couldn't deny that the pictures she had of him weren't bad looking either. He was
dependable, sweet, a little naieve, but certainly one of the few she could really dream with.
     Jessalyn was dreaming of him flying into her arms on "Flyer"'s wings, and they
would skip through the rain forests of Peru, just laughing and dreaming... if only... if only,
she wished.
     Marcus was wishing it over and over in his mind. He hated being alone so. He
wanted to desperately to have a friend and not a photograph. Yet what could he do? It was
hopeless! If only... if only, he wished.

     If only the both of them knew, I noted in mild exasperation.
     Huh! If they could only see how much noise and magic their wishing broadcast out
across the fairyroads, they know to be more quiet! I was trying to hide here, and get so
blamed sleep!
     Will someone shut those two little bugs up, PLEASE?
     Fine then, I'll do it myself.

     It was a night of tossing and turning for Marcus Stringer. Blast it all! Why counldn't
he sleep? Ever since he'd answered Unicorn's email, he hadn't been able to even feel
sleepy.
     "There is a light on somewhere in the house," he thought with mild irritation, as he
squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the light.
     After tossing for several minutes more, he realised that it was a loosing battle.
Determined to get up and shut that blasted light off, he tossed the covors aside.
     He was surprised to be met with a warm breeze. The heater was still on? It still felt
odd for a freezing winter night. He turned around toward the open door with light pouring
through it.
     He was met with a blinding white light. The ground vanished from beneath his feet,
and he suddenly had the sensation of falling! Was he actually asleep after all? All around
him he saw stars! How had he gotten outside?!!!
     He cried out, seeing the dark mass of the earth beneath coming upon him in a
sudden rush.
     "Gotcha!" came a new voice. A light, vibrant voice he had never heard before. He
felt himself land clumsily into someone's arms. He grasped her arm, for safety as she
flared her wings and came to rest.
     Mind still rushing like from a dream, he let himself sink to the ground, and recollect
himself. There was a starry sky overhead, a warm breeze and the sound of wind blowing
through leaves. The girl that had saved him...
     A tall figure stood before him, tall and proud, with wings, a set of spiked horns, large
feet, and a leathery tail. He gasped in surprise.
     "Oh, I'm sorry, are you alright?" she inquired with concern.
     Shakey still, he grasped his chest over his heart in one hand. "Don't... do that to
me..."
     "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't mean to scare you."
     Was there no moon tonight? He could hardly make out any colors on her, besides
her shape. Marcus felt himself being pulled into a pair of warm, powerful arms. "Who... who
are you?"
     Concerned, she looked into his eyes. "Are you alright, Marcus? It's me, Jessie!"
     "Jessalyn?!!!" Macrus excalimed with disbelief.
     She pulled him closer, into an embrace, "Yes, don't you remember?"
     "No."
     She checked his head. "Does your head hurt any?"
     "Jess...?"
     Jessalyn sighed heavily. "I guess you annoyed that fairy so much he sent you down
here years ago. We met, fell in love, got married, and then the fairy turned me into a
gargoyle."
     "Gargoyle? What? Why? Fairy? What...?"
     "Because he didn't want you to think you'd gotten a wish out of him, or something."
She sat down. There was a heaviness in her voice, and Marcus sat beside her. "He wanted
to make me a monster and make you hate me. He destroyed my old life, and my family
hates me now. But you... ah, you always loved me."
     As he was embraced again, his mind raced. "What? How was it possible?" he
thought.
     "I'm in Peru?"
     "Yes?"
     "How long has it been?"
     "Since what?"
     "I came here."
     "Three years."
     "And we're...?"
     "Married? Two years."
     "I wished to come here?"
     "Well... we both were."
     "I wasn't wished to be *married* to you, though!"
     Even in the dark, Marcus could see her face become shocked.
     "Okay, that's not true. I was hoping and wondering, but not wishing in the same
way."
     "But it was bound to happen, now wasn't it, human?" said a third voice.
     Both found themselves face a third shadow, in a dark cloak.
     "You!" Jessalyn exclaimed, "I should kill you right now."
     "Who are you?" Marcus asked at the same moment.
     I looked at them. "I'm no one to play trifles with. I've already taken one step to get
you out of my way. It's very important you stay out of my way."
     "The way of what?"
     "There are dark things happening all around us. You humans, all you do is wish.
Particularly the two of you. You wish so strongly, your magic makes us visible to the
enemy."
     Marcus made a face of confusion.
     "I gave you gift, and you don't even know it. What would you *have* done if it had
been possible to meet her?"
     "I... I don't know, take her out to a movie, maybe..." Marcus stammered.
     "You would have loved her, and she would have loved you! All I've done is allow you
to get settled a little. I don't really care who you are, but somehow you have the ability to
interfeare with my plans."
     "I never wished to marry her!" he protested.
     "Didn't you?"
     Marcus couldn't answer.
     I massed a large sigh. I *had* to be moving on. I created a glass sphere in one of
my hands, and gave it to him. "If you wish upon this sphere, you will return to your old lives,
never meet, and die miseerable single people. If you break it, you will both become
gargoyle, live alone, and together for a long time to come."
     "WHY?!!!" Jessalyn exclaimed, snarling.
     "Because the population of them has fallen over the last millenia, and we can never
hope to win without them."
     And with that, I vanished, leaving them to our own devices.

     Marcus stood, dumbfounded, looking into the sphere. He had it... what he'd always
dreamed... all he had to do to keep this life, was to break this glass sphere...