Fly North

Getsy stared down at her catch. The green slimy frog stared back up at her with beady eyes.

"Did you just say something?"

The frog stared back, "Uhm, yeah. I said I'm the Frog of the Pond. Whoever catches me will be granted one wish."

"You're not serious."

"Pretty serious. Why else would I be speaking to you know?"

"Because you're a regular 'non-wish granting' magical talking frog just trying to get away from being eaten?"

"I could see how you would think that, but that's not the case. I am magical, I can speak, and I can grant wishes."

"Prove it. Do something magical. Maybe give me a freebie so I know you're telling the truth."

"I'm not falling for that again."

"Okay, well, what can you do to prove it to me?"

The frog seemed to think as much as a frog could appear to do so, then responded simply, "Dunno. Guess you'll have to take a leap of faith."

Getsy seemed to think as much as a young orphaned girl who just had a frog speak to her as clear as day could appear to do so, then responded simply, "Okay, well, I don't have anything to wish for right now, so I'll just take you with me. That okay?"

The frog seemed to shrug as much as a frog could. "Yeah I guess. Got nothing better to do anyways."

Getsy nodded and placed the magical speaking wish granting frog into his own little cage, away from the others she caught. Seemed bad manners to pack him in with the rest of lunch. She then began to step out of the pond water that was now mostly mud, and trod back to the bank.

"Nice day out," the frog said.

Getsy took in the view. Dried grass covered the ground, sun scorched trees lied across the horizon, like black spears jutting out of the ground. A gray haze spread across a pale sky. "Yessir it is."

—

Getsy's boots echoed across the asphalt as she walked briskly through the remains of her hometown. She skipped over scattered bricks and around a spray of broken glass. The entire place still rank of smoke but Getsy no longer wrinkled her nose at it.

"Forgive my manners, I didn't ask for your name?"

"Oh that's okay. I don't really have one."

"But I have to call you something? Mine is Getsy by the way."

"Pretty name."

"Thank you. So anyways is there something you want to be called?"

"Not really."

"Well pick something!" she said as she skipped over more rubble.

There was silence in what Getsy could only consider was the frog pondering, "Alright, Gregory."

She stopped, "Why Gregory?"

"You said pick something, so I did."

"Yeah but, if you made something up, why not Reed? Or Paddy? Or Fly or Wart or something?"

"Because those are all things a frog would see or have?"

"Yeah, or what about Kermit or Snoop Frog?"

"I don't get those references."

"Yeah well I don't get Gregory."

"You can call me those names if you want. I don't have a real preference."

"No-no, I'll call you what you want to be called. Its just weird."

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Cause names have a story tied to them that tells you a little about that person's history. Like mine for example: Getsy. Got it from a woman who helped deliver me when my mom's water broke on the side of the road. My momma was driving by her lonesome when it happened, and a stranger driving by stopped and came out and helped her. That stranger's name was Getsy. I mean you wouldn't get that from my name alone, the story and all, but get to know me you think 'Wow I like the name Getsy, because that girl was so nice', and then the name Getsy itself becomes a great thing. Maybe one day I run for mayor and the town decides to name itself after me, or maybe I do something great for the world and they name a day after me. And it all traces back to that woman who helped my mom in the car."

"Wow."

"Exactly so what's you're name?"

"Alright, its Kaiser Von Ribbet."

The girl sighed, "Okay fine, you don't have to tell me, I'll just call you Gregory."

—

The frog legs crisped and popped atop the makeshift fire grill, as Getsy sat atop her old tire swing laid into the dirt. Gregory sat atop a brick beside her.

"So are you just stuck with me until I ask for my wish?" Gesty asked.

"Mm, yeah," the frog appeared to second guess himself, "I mean, I guess."

"But you don't know?"

"I mean, I guess I do? There really wasn't like a handbook or anything."

"So you don't know why you can grant wishes?"

"No. Can't remember the first one either. Its been a long time."

The girl took a moment to ponder this as she stared at her yard's blackened tree. "Well, here are some of my theories. One: you were created by a wizard or witch as their familiar and they died, but their magic still resides within you, so you channel it by granting 'wishes'. Two: you are the wizard-or witch- and have been cursed because you lost a duel or something. Or three: you're an angel in disguise and the wish is really a test to see who gets to go to heaven. Which means I've died finally and I'm somewhere in limbo now."

Now the frog took a moment to ponder, "Interesting you didn't think I was a devil in disguise. That's normally what most people think."

"You know what, I didn't consider that. I guess you could be."

"Oh, okay."

"But I don't think you are. Normally demons or devils transform into something tempting. I don't see much about what's so tempting about a frog," she turned one frog skewer over on the flames and then looked back at Gregory. "I mean, besides…"

"No no, I get it. We eat each other all the time."

"Well that's nice to know," She bit her bottom lip then, her brow furrowed. "Now that I reckon, I suppose there's a fourth thing."

"Oh yeah?"

"Four: I've just lost my mind and this is all a delusion," she shrugged, "Maybe the rad sickness has finally gotten to me and I'm just imagining your voice. You know, like Tom Hanks in that movie. Wilson?"

"Never seen it."

The skewered green legs began to crisp and char, and a sweet juicy aroma drifted upwards. Tingling up at her nose. Getsy removed them from the flames, muttering a profanity as she removed a steaming piece from its skewer and placed it by Gregory.

"Watch its hot," she said as she began to blow on her skewer. After a only a couple of breathes she dug into hers, tossing the morsel around in her mouth to lessen the scalding.

"Do people normally take this long to ask for a wish?"

"Normally yeah."

"Really? How's that you reckon? I figured there's plenty of folks who would just wish for a million dollars right off the bat."

"Mm, yeah, but the thing is, you can't just wish for anything."

"Oh so there are rules?"

"Mmm, yes and no I suppose," his eyes gazed up at her, each one blinking individually on its own time. "You can wish for anything. But it has to be something that you desire above all else."

"Oh, so like…what you need versus what you want?"

"I suppose though…in my experience, both want and need often end up being the same desire."

"So this is like a test then, if I wanted to wish for a million dollars I wouldn't get it?"

"Is that what you truly desire?"

"I mean hell no! Just look around you! What in tarnations am I going to do with a million dollars now?" she took a few frustrated bites with her skewer. "I mean…it wouldn't matter if I had a million dollars before either I reckon, guess I never really needed it. Especially considering how everything turned out."

"Mm." Gregory mumbled through a mouthful of charred frog meat.

Getsy tossed her skewer aside and began on the next one, not before picking a piece off and handing it down, "Alright, what's the weirdest wish you've granted?"

"Ah, I dunno if I can say."

"Some more rules then?"

"No just feels like a privacy violation."

"Oh, that makes sense. Didn't mean to pry then."

"No its fine. Just there is a lot of weird stuff. Feels wrong to share them without their recipient’s consent though."

"Wow. So do your wishes tend to twist what the users are asking for?'

"What do you mean?"

"Like if someone asks, 'I wish to never go hungry again', are they suddenly struck in the head with a rock because dead people can't be hungry? Or do they lose the feeling to feel hunger and would die of starvation from not remembering to feed themselves?"

"Wow. That's crazy. No the wish is genuine. Whatever it is that you truly desire, you get. No tricks or deceptions."

"That's a relief."

"Yup. And it only works when you know exactly what you want."

"How would you or I know that?"

Again, Gregory seemed to shrug, "I guess you just will.

—

The sun never set but it did lower enough to caste a somewhat hazy shade. Getsy always took this opportunity to relax, think about her day. And she did so as she did now, sitting on the edge of the crater that was once her neighborhood park.

"Can I wish people back from the dead?"

"Yup."

Getsy shot his a raised expression, genuinely shocked, "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow."

The two continued to stare.

"Did someone wish for this to all happen?"

"Maybe. But not from me."

"Maybe I should wish for it to all go back." she leaned her head back then, "But I reckon then things may just turn out the same. I suppose that can be the trick wishing someone back from the dead. No telling that they would just leave tomorrow or the day after huh?"

"I reckon so."

She sighed then, "And I bet you're not so easy to catch the second time?"

"Nah."

Getsy laughed, "Alright. Well hey now-If you are a wish granting frog--I mean I accept your magical and all-but if you are wish granting, when was the last time you granted a wish?"

"About two years ago?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, two wishes that year. Three the year before. Then another two."

"I find that hard to believe, doesn't seem like there's been too much crazy things springing about-I mean besides the obvious but then again you said that wasn't a wish-I figured if wishes were true there would be all sorts of crazy things happening. Like flying cars or flying people even! Hell where are all the undead pets?"

"You'd be surprised most people don't seem to wish for things that crazy."

"How would you know what defines crazy, being a frog and all?"

"Good point."

"Alright, so what did the last fella wish for?"

"Mm, he wished to become a fly."

"What? Why?"

"Said he would have less worries then."

"Wow…I mean I guess I could see his logic, but then again why a fly? Don't make sense when you can be a bird or something. Do you remember what happened to him afterwards?"

"Yeah I uh, I ate him."

Getsy looked astonished. The hazy light seemed to glimmer off Gregory's eyes and the girl could've sworn the frog was smiling. Then she burst out laughing.

"Gregory you sly frog!"

"Alright alright, he just flew away. I don't know what happen to him next."

"But I bet he ain't worried no more. Or at least less often. Though I reckon still flies have a lot of things to worry about." She leaned forward on her elbows then, eyes drowsily watching the clouds drift ever so softly.

"Like I said, I suppose I could change everything back. But then there's no telling that it wouldn't happen again. Maybe it would be worse the next time. Maybe someone's already wished for a war not to happen and then this one did. I can't wrap my brain around it," she sighed, "And I know I should probably wish for some people back, but selfishly I don't want to bring them back. This world is as bleak as it can get. Nah, maybe I do want to be a fly. Sounds nice I suppose."

Her gaze searched the clouds ahead, and then across the sky. "Haven't seen them in a long time. Cranes, they used to migrate this time of year again. Always flew South for food before heading back home in the North. Mom and I used to watch them. Always felt like they were coming to visit us. I remember even then, before all this, how badly I wanted to fly. Life was good before the war but it wasn't great either. Wished I could've flown away then too. But at least I got to see them one last time before everything went down. But I reckon none of them migrated back North though. Kinda sad, thinking none of them made it back home again."

"Mm."

The two seemed to enjoy their silence then. Getsy appreciated that Gregory allowed her time to dry her face.

"Say Gregory, I'm not missing anything here right? Like you're not needing to be set free right?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Really? You sure?"

"Pretty sure."

Getsy nodded then.

"Alright then, I reckon I know what I want."

And for the first time in two years, a crane flew North.