Melting in the Sun and Freezing in the Snow

Author's Note: This seemed a little silly, and childish to write, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It was fun to write, and I hope you had fun reading it too!

Calista lay, sprawled against the sun, wearing denim-cut-offs, and a cotton jersey. She fanned her hair desperately, yawning, and licking the melted sticky popsicle that trickled across her hand. She stood up, tossed her hat, and trudged lazily into the house to find her four-year-old brother, Jax pasting his head into the freeze box, panting.

She giggled. "My turn," she smiled, shoving her brother, and belting her face into the box.

"Calista, I told you. The icebox isn't for cooling yourself down," Mrs Carson lectured, pinning her hair up for the hundredth time. "But you're right, it's pretty hot."

"I'm gonna get another strawberry pop. It's too hot!" Calista moaned.

The doorbell tinkled. "Jax, get the post!" Calista called.

Jax groaned and chucked his dinosaur. Walking outside, he spotted a man, beaming happily at the door. A hooded falcon perched on his hand, and he had shimmering white robes. His eyes gleamed. "Hello, little boy."

Jax stared at the man. "Yeah? Ooh! Cool bird!" he cried, reaching out to pet it.

The man nodded, "Listen, do you want to make an exchange?"

"I'm hot," Jax wailed, "Can you hurry up and give me the post?"

"Aha! You're hot, aren't you? Well, how about I give you a magic ball, and if you rub it twice, and say what you want, you'll get it?"

"What?" Jax asked, clearly puzzled.

"I'll give you a magic ball, and you can wish for anything you want." the man mysteriously replied.

Jax's eyes widened. "Anything? Even the whole, Mega Play Set of dinosaurs?" he yelled.

The man quietened him down impatiently, closed his eyes, and conjured a magic ball. He thrust it into Jax's hands. "Here, but can you promise me something?"

Jax smiled. "Yeah?"

"You need to make a trade with me. It means you have to give me something back."

Jax shrugged. "I don't know what you mean, so I'm going inside. It's getting hot." he howled.

The man put a finger onto his crimson lips. "Shhh, little boy. Listen, I'm magic. I need you to give me the power to enter houses."

Jax cocked his head onto one side. "Why can't you enter houses?"

"My kind isn't allowed to enter the human world, so I need you to rub the magic ball, and say, 'Please give this wizard permission to enter any human house'."

Jax sniggered. "Why can't you say it?"

"Because I'm not a human, silly."

"I'm not a silly," Jax demanded defiantly.

"Yes, yes, of course not. Now, hurry up, boy." the wizard replied impatiently.

"Jax? Jax? What's taking you so long?" Calista hollered, clearly annoyed as she walked out onto the porch, her hands on her hips.

The wizard hastily smacked his hands and vanished into thin air.

Calista blinked. "What are you doing, standing out in the summer? Where's the post?" she yelled.

Jax buried the ball under his shirt and wiggled his toe, "My toe needed sunlight," he answered, giggling.

Calista rolled her eyes, "Yeah, of course, it did." she scorned.

Jax tumbled into his room, bolting the door and observing the glass ball curiously. He rubbed it defiantly and said, "I want the new Mega Set of Dinosaurs." he pressed.

A tinkle sounded and a pair of shorts appeared on his bed. He gasped, chuckling happily. Jax tossed the ball, and it rolled towards the door.

A sharp rap blared on his door, ten minutes later. "I'm playing with my new Mega Set. Go away." Jax whined.

Calista pushed the door open and stuck her face in. She was wearing a cool off face mask. "You don't even have the Mega Set." she sniggered, as she walked in.

"W-what? But, b-but, Mum said she was only buying it if you cleaned your room, and you haven't!" she cried.

Jax smiled. "The ball made it happen."

"What ball?" Calista challenged, curiously.

He pointed to the glass ball at his bedside. She picked it up and inspected it strangely. "Where did you get this?" she asked sharply.

"The postman gave it to me. He came with a pretty cool bird! He said you can get what you want by rubbing the ball and saying what you want!"

Calista doubled up in laughter. "Good imagination, Jax,"

Jax stood up defiantly, "It works!" he yelled in protest.

Calista looked at her brother, and rubbed the ball, "I want a new set of makeup." she ordered.

Nothing happened.

"Maybe it's in your room?" Jax asked hopefully.

Calista sprinted to her room and carried the makeup set like it was a diamond. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Jax, you have a ball that can grant any wishes and you didn't tell us?" she squealed.

Jax shrugged and shuffled n his shoes. "The man told me it was a secret."

"Mum! You gotta see this!"

~~~

"So you're telling me, this ball grants wishes?"

"Yeah." Jax and Calista responded, breathlessly.

Mrs Carson laughed, "You'd have to do better than that, darlings."

"Lemme show you." Calista smiled and pushed her wild hair off her face.

She rubbed it, and said in a clear voice, "I want it to be winter." she demanded.

Nothing happened.

"Maybe we should go check outside!" Jax squealed, skipping outside.

Mrs Carson followed them, "Sweeties, this is enough. What is going on?"

Abruptly, the clouds turned grey, and the bright green leaves on the trees unleashed, leaving them bare. Thunder echoed into the dire sky, and a wild swirl of wind swept past them, making the three of them, astonished and cold. Suddenly, it began to snow, and snowflakes glued onto the window and filled their feet with snow.

Mrs Carson gaped. "I-I-I," she stammered, and she swayed, and the two of them heaved her onto a couch, panting.

Mrs Carson shivered, and stood up, "Are you telling me, that we have a ball that can grant wishes?" she whooped.

Calista and Jax glanced at each other eagerly.

"Yes!"