The Wish-For-All

I was standing in the middle of my apartment, penthouse, 94th floor, New York.

It was time.

I punched in the date. Wednesday, 23rd Dec, 2037. It wasn’t so much the day that everything went wrong in my life, as the day that everything went right. Terribly, horrifically right!

The time machine in my hand was a small device that projected a larger Holographic Screen for ease of use. I’d designed it that way. Well, I’d imagined it that way in my head, then wished for it with my Wish-For-All. Which was the same thing right? I was the designer if not strictly the engineer.

I wore the Wish-For-All attached to a necklace around my neck because I’d had some very frightening ‘ops-I-misplaced-it’ moments. The Wish-For-All crated any machine or tech I imagined and wished for, but only machines and tech.

But who made the Wish-For-All? Perhaps I would finally find out today! Or, more accurately, I would find out five years ago.

I checked all the input on the screen, one typo here could put an end to the fiasco I called my life! I touched my Wish-For-All for luck and hit the ‘Initiate’ button on the Holo Screen.

The world wobbled around me. I blinked and with a sickening lurch of my stomach, I began to fall. OOOPHH! My chest hit the ground.

Okay, so the machines calculations were a little off! With a groan I sat up and looked around. I was in the small clearing I used to play in as a child. I was correct in my assumption it would be deserted. I dusted off the snow from my jacket and looked up at the sun to get my bearings.

Hmm, it was afternoon, it was off! On time and elevation! I’d been aiming for midday to allow for anything unexpected, but no matter! There was still time. Haha! Time! If I failed to find my answer today then I would hop back another 24 hours and try again. I now had an abundance of time!

I stood up and inspected the little time machine, it was no worse for wear, I’d managed to keep hold of it. I'd given this little machine a big task! It had wrestled with time, dragged me through it and deposited me here, relatively safely. Though nothing the Wish-For-All made had ever been faulty.

 Compulsively I touched the little pendant once more, to make certain it wasn’t magicked away by time. Nope! Still there.

I tried not to think about the fact that I’d soon be stopping my past self from finding it at all.

I pocketed the time machine and shrugged my backpack on more comfortably as I set off. I’d chosen the clearing, not just because no one ever went there, but because the forest would also allow me to approach the town virtually unseen.     ‘Ash?’

‘Paige!’ I almost leapt out of my skin. I hadn’t noticed her standing there! Oh God! Had she been there the whole time? Did she just see me blink into existence a few feet off the ground?

Her wide blue eyes blinked at me from beneath thick glasses. No! No, surely she would be running and screaming if she had seen that. With great difficulty I wrestled my panic down.

‘Hhii Paige! What are you doing out here?’ Paige shrugged her backpack, ‘Uhh…presumably the same thing you are?’

‘Huh?...Oh! Yeah of course.’ Paige cocked her head, her frown was growing. ‘You look…’ She trailed off bemused. My guess was she was noticing that, now at twenty-four, I had a bulkier build than when she had last seen me. No wrinkles yet! But much more stubble.

Should I whip out the memory wiper I’d brought for situations like this? But no, I didn't want Paige to forget me.

I should run. It would be weird, but hey! I was a weird kid! Maybe she wouldn’t be that surprised?

I shouldn’t still be standing here, remembering. I used to have daydreams about bumping into this girl on our old college campus and here we were…bumping into each other. And it only took five years, a magical wishing marble, countless dangerous and expensive machines, a couple of multimillion dollar businesses ventures on my part and increasing scrutiny from government departments and violent individuals to bring us together!

Paige had gone bright red and I realised I was staring. Suddenly I was struck with an impulsive, but genius idea.

‘Hey, I’ll be at the Christmas Market in town with my family tonight. Maybe we could catch up?’ Paige smiled. Actually smiled. How had I ever been too afraid to approach this girl?

‘Actually, yeah, that sounds great!’ She dug around in her pack, scribbled with a pen and tore a bit of paper. ‘Sorry, I forgot my phone this morning. Here’s my number, you know, in case we can’t find each other.’

I beamed as I took the number. Paige gave me her number! ‘Cool! I’ll uh…see you there.’

‘Yeah, see you there.’

I pocketed the number and gave her a wide birth, best not to get too close to those glasses right now! I tripped on a root as I left the path and stumbled. Classic Ash! I could feel my face going read as I laughed awkwardly and gave a quick wave goodbye.

Paige tucked an escaped lock of hair behind her ear and waved back. 

                                                 ***

Preston was large town, well a city really but it still looked quaint to me, a lot had changed, even in five years. Although my machines had a lot to do with that.

I marched across town as the sun sank towards the horizon, avoiding the main roads and businesses. Too many people here would recognise me and I couldn’t use the memory wiper on them all. I pulled up my hood and tried not to look suspect.

I reached the intersection of a narrow lane. At one end I could see busy stall owners setting up the market and in the other direction I could see the green of the park. This was the way I walked home. This was where I’d found it.

I walked down to the park and found a bush to hide in. I waited and I waited, growing bored and uncomfortable. The bush was scratchy, my muscles were cramped from crouching and it had grown dark.

I could hear the Christmas Market in full swing but still no sign of the Wish-For-All or its previous owner. Had my presence here already altered what was going to happen? I had spoken to Paige, and she was presumably here at the market now, hopefully with the old me, I mean, with the young me.

The bush I’d chosen was near the mouth of the lane. Across the lane the park continued on to a fence, a little brown wooden fence, with a black cat sitting on it. It blinked moon bright eyes at me and then I lost it in the shadows.

Another half an hour or so passed and I was starting to grow anxious. I had to stop my younger self from finding the Wish-For-All. I had proven to be too reckless with it and had only escaped because of the time machine. Otherwise, I was as good as buried in the future. But if I had already altered events enough to disrupt the previous owners' path down this lane, then my goal was already accomplished. But I really wanted to know where the Wish-For-All had come from before I died! Yes, died! It was a possibility I would shortly cease to exist.

The black cat slunk up to the side of the path and looked across at me. I heard footsteps crunching in the snow, they were coming quickly, running!

A tiny little man shot out from the dark of the lane. He was wearing tights and a tiny striped Santa hat. He was only two feet high and had a wicked little face. My jaw dropped. Was that an Elf? Like a for real Santa’s-work-shop Elf? There was something a bit off about him though. He was dressed in black and red. He must be on the naughty list.

The Black cat leapt on him hissing and spitting.

‘Ge’oof!’ The Elf yelped as they rolled.

The cat bit and scratched and twisted, kicking at the elf with its back paws. ‘Yeh Beastie!’ He cried as he wrenched himself free. He gave the cat a swift kick and dashed off through the park with the cat in pursuit.

I sat there for a moment in utter befuddlement until the moonlight shone on a small marble like object. The Wish-For-All! I scrambled out of the bush, plucked it from the snow, fumbled it into my pocket and scurried back. ‘Ouch!’ I growled as I settled once more into the scratchy bush.

A pair of footsteps approached and Paige and younger me walked out of the lane.

‘This is good, I haven’t had a chai in ages.’ Paige said taking another sip. Younger me sipped his own. ‘Right? I got a bit of a taste for them, the campus café makes a really good one but this is…’

‘Festive’ Paige supplied. Younger me smiled and nodded.

I had bulked! Was I ever that small? Surely Paige had noticed that! Though, I suppose there was no way for her to explain it, trick of the forest light in her glasses maybe? Hang in there Paige! I thought. I get Hotter I promise!

‘So how often do you hike out there?’ Paige asked and my insides contracted. Younger me frowned. ‘Uh…out near Wild Track?’

Paige rolled her eyes. ‘Uh yeah, where else?’

‘Oh, I um, pretty often. There's a clearing out there that I like to study in sometimes.’

Paige laughed. ‘Yeah I know! Well not the study part. But the clearing from today yeah?’

Oh please! Oh Please don’t mess it up younger me! Just nod your head!

Younger me frowned ‘Uh-’ he said. But Paige had already moved on.

‘So are you going to walk me home?’

‘Uh yeah! Still on Park Ave?’

I had to hold in the relieved breath that threatened to swoop out of me. Paige you beautiful genius!

‘Yeah! Haha! Remember that old dog at the end of my street?’

‘Oh yeah! Dover? Don’t tell me he’s still around!’

Paige smirked. ‘He’s still around.’

They turned left at the far edge of the park and wandered out of sight.

I laughed, feeling a little giddy. I got The Wish-For-All, saw the previous owner and I wasn’t dead! Once younger me crossed that lane and found no Wish-For-All, shouldn't I have, you know? Pouff! 

I dug into my pocket and pulled out the second Wish-For-All, With the other still hanging from my neck as a pendant.

Okaayy. Fudge! So now I had two of these things! And I was still here. So, alternate timelines then? Well, I wasn’t going back to my timeline that was for sure! I chuckled nervously, that one was a bit of a mess! If the police didn’t get me then the military would. Or even the old Asian lady who was my neighbour one level down, there was something assassin-ish about her. 

Hmm, I’d have to do something about my timeline though. Well, at least younger me would live an assassin free life! ‘You’re welcome!’ I said to myself. Although, there was more I could do. Assuming younger me didn’t completely stuff things up…maybe I could…just a little!

I leapt out of the bush, sprinted to the end of the park and turned right. This was a perfect plan!

I raced up onto our porch, found the key under the mat and made my way upstairs to my old room. My family was still out, I remembered dad bumping into Mr Colins which is when I’d decided to walk home alone.

But not alone this time! I punched the air. Who was more of a Genius tonight really, me or Paige? Well, I was so stoked for both of us! All of us? Eh, whatever!

My room was a dark mess. I took the backpack off my back and rummaged through it. There they were! I left the tech books on my old bed. Younger me would need these more than I would now.

So, what to make? Nothing too crazy, something lucrative and easy enough for younger me to understand. Well, the gaming consoles had been a huge success for me in my timeline. They were also one of the least dangerous machines I’d made.

I clutched the Wish-For-All and half filled the room with them.

There we go!

Young me would find these little beauties, test them out and then he'd find a way to replicate them. I'd know, because that's what I did! I wished machines into existence and then found ways to replicate them, with factories and everything! I had tried to seem legit in my own timeline, but I'd gotten careless and ambitious.

I tapped my finger against my lip, what else? Oh! Those first flying pods I created; they were like flying cars. I clutched the Wish-For-All once more and filled the back yard with flying pods.

There! If younger me couldn’t find a way to make this work without blowing up his life, then nothing could save him! Save me? I shrugged. I'd gotten him the girl and a way to become rich. What a wing man!

I was beaming as I strolled off down the street. I was alive and free! And this time I’d be much smarter about it. I’d get an alias, become someone else for a while, until I had a concrete plan to restore my timeline. But I’d need a social security number and ID for now. Hmmm, I had no idea how to do that! But I could probably wish for a machine to do that too! One that could hack my fake details into the system? I shrugged it off, sure it would work, no machine that the Wish-For-All produced had failed me yet. Maybe I’d fix my timeline and meet my own Paige! What could go wrong?

                                                     ***

The Elf huffed and growled as he poked through the snow in the lane. ‘Where is it?’ He hissed as he raised a lamp high, searching for the lost object. ‘What’s this then?’ He whispered as he picked up a crumpled bit of paper with a handwritten phone number on it.