The Thorn of Wishes

trigger warning: mental health. Kidnapping.

"We're never getting out of here." Ellie whispered as she flung her sand around in her sifter. Her bright yellow jumpsuit a harsh contrast to the deep dark sea floor we were trapped in. We all woke up in them after we drank whatever substance caused us to lose consciousness.

I ignore her as I sift my own pile. I know she's right. Greedy King Orec was never going to let us go. It was becoming more difficult not to fall into despair. Digging for his gold day after day. If I wasn't chained to this sea floor I'd....

"I heard we could escape if we found "The Thorn of Wishes." said Carla as she sifted her pile like a well trained work horse.

"Shh!' I reprimanded her. We all knew we could be killed for even mentioning it. It didn't stop us from dreaming. I glared at the golden cuff on my ankle. The stupid thing kept me from floating up to the surface. My breathing sounded labored through the helmet I had to wear to receive oxygen down here. It looked like we were all wearing a goldfish bowl on our heads. It would have been funny under different circumstances. There was nothing funny about this. I don't even know how long I've been down here. I can't really tell if it's day or night. We were washed in the murkiness of the sea. It was like seeing through an old pair of prescription glasses. You could see well enough to manage but nothing was ever in focus. If only I hadn't gone to that party. I pushed the thought away. No matter how many times I replayed it in my head it didn't change anything. My soul ached to go home. I wanted to see Ian. I looked at my left hand. We talked about marriage. He hadn't given me a ring before I became imprisoned down here. Please be safe. I prayed for him. I love him with all of my heart. Thoughts of him, of our future is what's keeping my soul intact. We decided we'd wait until we had finished college to get married. I never even made it to my first class. I wanted to see my mom again even if she nagged me about every little thing. I wanted to see my dad again even if I had to endure watching wrestling with him. I wanted to see my brother even if he followed me around and entered my room without knocking. I just wanted to go home.

The whistle blew and we all began to clean up our stations as we prepared for a short reprieve. As long as king Orec didn't show up in a foul mood. I prayed he wouldn't show up at all today. I lifted my vial up and it vanished. I'm not sure exactly where it goes or what the sea king does with it. I stopped caring a long time ago. I am tired and sluggish today. I'm weary of trying to fight the despair that is ever trying to consume me. The other girls have already left their stations. I step forward only to slip on a sea slime and fall face first on the ground. All of this time and I still struggle to walk under the water with this ankle weight on. As I hoist myself up I feel something firm and cold in the sand. I clench my fist around it. I slip it into my left pocket trying to be as discreet as possible. The Carrassus guards are always watching. They have the bodies of men and heads like giant goldfish. Their huge bulging eyes cause me to shiver whenever they look at me. I lower my head in feigned submission. I don't want to draw attention today as I head for my mangrove tree hollow. It's really just a magical jail cell with connecting branches and different hollows to keep us separated. King Orec takes no chances with slaves. I pretend to be asleep in the damp darkness until the Carrassus guards stop patrolling too close to my prison. I open my eyes and I wait for them to adjust. Once I am able to see well enough I pull the object from my pocket. The water washes away the sand as I lift it up and I see that it is some sort of necklace. I trace the outline with my fingers. It's cold beneath my touch. I hold it closer. It looks like a black rose in bloom with a gold outline. I gasp as the pendant begins glowing and becomes warm in my hand.

"What do you desire?" I hear a voice in my head.

A thought forms in my mind. I imagine going home. I imagine seeing Ian again. My mom, my dad and my brother. I want to walk on solid ground and breathe without this helmet. I want to go home. I collapse to my knees as the room begins spinning and everything goes black.

I flinch as the brightness stings my eyes. I am laying on my back, staring up at a clear blue sky. Is this a dream? My breathing comes in shallow gasps. I sit up and rip the oxygen mask off of my head. I feel a brush of grass as I sit up. I am in a yard with oak trees in it. I can see the green grass with patches of yellow where the sprinkler missed. Everything looks clear again. Then all of the smells hit me at once. I smell the roses blooming on the nearby porch. I smell someone's dinner. Is that chicken? My mouth begins to salivate. I've been living on seaweed stew for so long. I hear the sound of birds chirping. I watch a hummingbird land on a telephone wire. I inhale as I feel the wind on my face. Even the smell of gasoline and engine noises as a few cars drive down the street is comforting. So many things I hadn't heard in ages. Perhaps this wasn't a dream after all. I pick up a few blades of grass and dirt and clutch them to my heart. Dry land how I've missed you. I look up at a nearby house. I sigh in relief at it's familiar shape. It's rectangular and it has yellow rose bushes in front. The color is wrong though. I remember it being the pale pink my mother favored not beige. Is this my house? I rise to my feet on wobbly legs. They feel so much heavier without the water to lighten their weight. My heart is pounding. Is my family inside? I half run and half crawl up the steps in my haste. I forgot how to negotiate with gravity. I don't bother knocking. I push the door open and go inside. I pass through a living room with a familiar brown recliner. My father's. Where is everyone? I run into the dining room and my heart almost stops. There they are. They all stare at me with their mouths agape. Their dinner forgotten. I feel the tears fall down my cheeks before I hear myself sobbing. There is mom. Her blonde hair in it's familiar bun. Did she always have so many streaks of gray? When did she start wearing glasses? There is father. His head is almost bald and strands of white peek out from beneath his dark mustache. There is a tall and muscular young man. He looks to be in his twenties. He has blonde hair like mine. His eyes are blue instead of my green. He looks like....it can't be.

"Lee Lee?" he asks.

I fall to my knees. It is Corbin? My little brother? He looks so grown up. How long was I gone?

"Lorelei!" my mother cried finding her voice. She runs over and embraces me. My dad and my brother join us.

"We thought you were..it's been ten years since...since..." my dad couldn't even complete a sentence.

Ten years? Was I really gone that long?

"I missed you all so much." I sobbed.

"I have so many questions.' said Corbin.

I nod. I don't want to talk about it right now. Would they even believe me? I just want to enjoy being reunited with my family.

"Where's Ian?" I long to see my boyfriend.

I feel my father stiffen at my inquiry. "Lorelei, you were gone for ten years."

I nod. I don't understand why Dad is repeating himself.

"Ian is..." my mother began.

"He's married and has two kids." Corbin blurts out.

"Corbin!" mother scolds."

"She's going to find out eventually." he shrugs.

It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. All of these years I've been waiting and longing just to see him one more time and he's moved on? Like our love was nothing to him? We spoke of marriage, of buying a house and having children someday. Why didn't he wait for me?

"So why do you still look like your twenty? Shouldn't you be getting wrinkles or something?" asked Corbin.

"What?" I gasp. I still look like I'm twenty? If ten years have gone by I should be thirty. Now I'm younger than my little brother? Hadn't King Orec already taken enough from me?

"I don't know. Tessa invited me to a party and..." I really don't want to talk about this.

"Lee Lee were you kidnapped?"

I nod.

"Ian married Tessa." Corbin informed me.

"What?" I gasp. I clutch my chest. The pain is almost unbearable. No. It can't be. Did Tessa know? Was she trying to get rid of me? Is that why she insisted I go to that party even though she never showed up? That has to be a coincidence, right?

"Lee Lee," said Corbin. I enjoy his affectionate nickname even though he has to be about twenty-one now. "I'm so happy you're back."

I nod. I am happy to be back too. Even if that means I have to refigure out my life. I am now younger than my little brother. I no longer have a boyfriend. I haven't attended a single day of college and I have zero work experience. At least no work experience that is useful. I take a deep breathe. One day at a time.

That night as I lay in my old familiar bed I squeeze the necklace tight in my hand. I don't know if I get more than one wish but please I beg you to free all of the girls from King Orec's slavery. Please send them back in time. Please give them back the ten years they lost in captivity. I have no way of knowing if my wish has been granted as the necklace grows warm and disappears from my fingers.

That night the rain sounds like rocks pelting the windows and the wind is howling like an angry child. I jump out of my skin every time I hear thunder. It's been so long. The flashes of lightning cause throbbing pain in my eyes. I run to my brother's room. He is unfazed. He is only mad that the storm messed up the internet. He wants to play his video game online with a bunch of strangers. He laughs at our role reversals as I plop on the bean bag chair next to his gaming chair and pick up Wally, the big stuffed bear he stole from my room. I don't care. I am no longer used to the sound of storms. I don't know what caused this summer storm but I sincerely hope it is the necklace granting my wish.