The Sweetest Wish

FFFFWWWOOOSSSHHH! SKSKS-SKSKS! PLOP! I feel my body land on something soft, plush and a little bit sticky. My eyes are still tightly shut from fear. My arms and legs dangle off the sides of whatever I landed on, and I can hear my heart in my ears thumping like an angry jack-rabbit. I gingerly move my legs first, then my arms to see if anything is injured. No pain so that means nothing serious except maybe a small bruise on my elbow that smacked something hard before landing on this strange, plush object.

“Okay. Good. I’m definitely still alive” I say out loud as if to reassure myself. But whatever just happened was not what I expected when I opened my Aunt Nora’s old grandma board game. She calls it “vintage” which is just old people words for super-duper old!

The game is called Candy Land and I think it’s from the 1980s.

Like I said, super-de-duper old!

Anyway, I remember taking out the game and telling my aunt to play with me, but she did what all adults do when they get sick of me and told me to “Go play on your own. You’re so good at entertaining yourself!” Which again is just old people words for “Go away, you’re annoying me!”

Whatever. I’m used to it. It’s not like I have any brothers or sisters, so I do know how to play by myself. But I just wish someone LIKED to play with me, and maybe even ask ME to play with THEM.

So I went to the sun room alone, set up the game and when I grabbed the little game piece and set it down on the “Start” space I was swept in by a bright light.

I am on my own, as I open my eyes and see a sight that must mean I’m dreaming. Or maybe I am dead and this is my heaven. But that can’t be because even I couldn’t dream up this place.

I am sitting on what appears to be a large green gum drop coated in sweet and sour sugar. As I look around I see there is an entire field of these big gum drops popping up as if they grew naturally right here.

“I’m inside the game?” I say to myself. I’m used to talking to myself.

“Well, I don’t know about any game, but you sure as heck are in the Kingdom of Sweets.” A sickly sweet, high-pitched voice come from behind a pink gum drop.

“Who’s there?” I ask confidently, but my voice squeaks with the hint of fear.

“Just a humble gum drop farmer.” A man? Woman? A human-like thing walks out from behind the large gum drop. They are dressed in wild clothes. I’m talking huge frilly neck thingy with white and pink lace, super oversized balloon pants that were purple with white polka-dots, and large bright pink glasses. Oh and their skin was as red as fire truck, and they were surprisingly thin.

“The name is Holly, of house Kandi. You, strange looking girl, have just ruined the gum drop I grew for Queen Phrostina and her annual Tour de Sweets.” Holly finishes and shoos me away from the gum drop I landed on like I was some annoying bug. Typical adult.

“I’m sorry, but it’s not like I did it on purpose. I just sorta fell and the next thing I knew I landed on your gum drop.” I kick my feet at the ground and put on my best puppy dog eyes. That usually makes most adults forgive and help me.

“You fell from the sky?!” Holly shouts like she was just told I’m from outer space. Although, I guess that wouldn’t be super weird for a place like this.

“Uhh…yeah. I was playing with my aunt’s old game and when I put my piece on the board I sorta just fell in.” I mime putting the game piece down and falling. Holly continues to look at me with shock and awe.

“Not another human! I must tell the royal guards at once!” Holly begins to run towards what I now can see is a farmhouse made of the gum drops she grows, but then turns around and points her long, slender red finger at me. “You don’t move an inch until I get back!”

Fat chance, lady. But I smile and nod as if I’m agreeing with her.

She hurries off to report me and once she is out of sight I turn the other way and start running. There has got to be some way out of here.

When I reach the top of the very large hill I stop and see what I now know is the Kingdom of Sweets. In the distance I can see peppermint candy canes and lollipops as tall as trees, houses made of licorice and peanut brittle, a bubbling hot chocolate spring surrounded by marshmallow cattails, the biggest castle I’ve ever seen with spires of waffle cones topped with hard scoops of ice cream. The castle sits right on the shore of what looks like a sea of milk with large gummy fish jumping out from time to time.

“It’s a really cool view, but it gets old after you’ve been here long enough.” A voice from a nearby cotton candy bush startles me.

Out jumps a boy about my age (I’m twelve by the way) with short blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and plump peach skin. He is wearing long blue overalls and a red and white striped shirt, but they look dirty with rips and tears scattered everywhere.

He approaches me as he says “Hi! I’m Peter.”

“I’m Angela.” Good gravy, c’mon Angela. It takes more than that to make a friend.

“Hi Angela. You’re not from here are you?”

I look down and remember that I am in my all black outfit. Black jeans, black sneakers, a black t-shirt and a black ribbon tying up my hair. So other than being human, I stick out like a sore thumb in this bright colored sweet world.

“Wow good guess. What gave me away?” I ask sarcastically. And that’s why I don’t have a lot of friends. Well…any friends.

“Aside from your strange clothes, you fell like a shooting star out of the sky is what gave me a clue” says Peter in a very teasing way. I don’t like to be teased, but the way he did was funny at least and I can’t help but let a small giggle.

“Ahh there’s a smile. I know coming here for the first time is scary, but don’t worry! Now that you are with me, we can have all kinds of fun!” Peter pumps his fist in the air.

“Who said I was gonna follow you?! I barely know you!” Why am I like this? Just go with the flow, Angela. So what if you are in a strange world made of dessert food. You got your wish. Here is a kid your age asking to be your friend so just be nice for once in your life.

“Woah! Sorry, I thought you came here to make a friend just like the last girl.” Peter raises his hands up in the air like I’m a cop and he is the robber.

“What do you mean like the last girl?!” Holly’s words ring in my head, and she did say something about another human.

“Ya the last lonely girl that came here was a good friend of mine. We used to love having all kinds of adventures in the Kingdom of Sweets. Queen Phrostina even made her an honorary citizen of Sweets.”

“The Queen!? What is this lonely girl’s name?” I ask genuinely curious. Its nice to know that I’m not the only freak who can’t make friends like everyone else.

“I think her name was Nora. It’s been a really long time since she’s come to play with me. As you see, I don’t fair too well adventuring on me own.” Peter spins around to show off more rips, tears and very bad patch jobs to his outfit.

Nora?! My Aunt Nora used to come here?! That is wild! Does that mean she knew what would happen when I showed her the game? Maybe that’s why she told me to play on my own.

“Hang on, I thought you said she was lonely? I think I know this Nora. She is my aunt. But she had my dad and a bunch of friends at school. That’s not being lonely!” I’m a bit annoyed. Sure this place is cool, but why would Aunt Nora feel lonely enough to come here when she had so many friends back in our world?

“Well, I remember her talking about how she wanted to run away from home because no one understood her. Even with all her friends, she never felt accepted by them. They were also really mean to her. Hardly friends worth having if you ask me.” Peter kicks up some dirt.

Now that I understand. Even when I did have a chance to make a friend, it was always the same tune. I get comfortable with them, unmask in front of them, they start picking on me, I fight back and bam! No more friend.

“So Aunt Nora came here to run away?”

“Yeah I guess you could say that. She came here because we were best friends, and she had a lot more friends that were nice to her here! Her favorite place was right here in the gum drop field. We used to love finding the biggest ones and jump on them like trampolines. Then grumpy Miss Holly would find us and chase us away. She would always call the guards, but they never did anything.”

Peter stares off into the distance as he remembers the good times he had with my Aunt Nora. Its so strange to think of Aunt Nora as a kid like me, but I guess all adults were once kids. Kids that loved to have fun. Kids that struggled with the same things I struggle with every day. Maybe even kids that, like me, didn’t have any real friends.

“You must have missed her all these years she’s been gone. I’m sorry, Peter.” I feel bad for my cold attitude earlier. Peter must’ve been just as lonely as I’ve been. Even more lonely if it has been a bajillion years since Aunt Nora came here!

“Nah, I’ve been having fun on my own. It’s just a lot more fun with a friend as all things are! But I suppose I should take better care of my clothes.” Peter chuckles as he ruffles his own hair.

At that moment the sound of a trumpet blares in my ears.

PRRRRRRAHHH PRRRRAHH PRRRRAAAAAHHHH

Peter and I turn around with a jolt. Instinctively we grab each other’s hands. I guess I have a new friend. A real friend.

Coming up the hill is a parade of brightly colored knights. Their armor made of what looks like hardened rock candy, their spears sharpened candy canes, and after they got closer I could see that they also have bear-like faces with matching gelatin skin.

Following closely behind them is a carriage being pulled by two animal cracker horses only as big as real horses. Or I guess these are the real horses here. Any way the carriage is a beautifully decorated ginger-bread carriage with white icing trimming and gum drop wheels.

“Don’t worry, Angela. It’s just Queen Phrostina’s personal guard. They won’t hurt us.” Peter gives her hand a reassuring squeeze and the anxiety in my heart lessens.

Once the carriage comes to a stop in front of us the one guard carrying a silver trumpet opens the door. Out steps the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Hair as white as frosting perfectly wavy, large ice blue eyes, radiant sun-kissed skin, with the most gorgeous frilly emerald green dress. She stands taller than her guards as she waves a rod made of pure sparkling white sugar while smiling the brightest smile I’ve ever seen.

The trumpet guard proclaims “HERE YE, HERE YE! BEFORE YOU STANDS THE RULER OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS, QUEEN PHROSTINA!” Queen Phrostina’s eyes wince as her guard shouts this right next to her.

“Thank you, Gerald. That’ll be all for now” Queen Phrostina chimes. Her voice as gentle as an evening breeze.

Queen Phrostina looks over at me then at Peter. Her eye-brows raise in surprise but her smile never leaves her face even as she focuses.

She speaks with confidence. “So you are the new human that has arrived in our beautiful kingdom. Well met. As my herald as just very loudly stated. I am Queen Phrostina and this is the Kingdom of Sweets. We are ever so happy to have a new visitor. It’s been ages since the last one. Tell me young lady. What was the wish your heart made when you opened our game?”

Wish? Heart? Game? So these people know that their world is just a silly board game back in my world? I guess that makes as much sense as the next thing here.

“With all due respect your majesty” I curtsy to her. I’m not an idiot who can’t read the room. “But why would a queen want to know the wish from a heart like mine?”

Queen Phrostina doesn’t do the usual annoyed look all other adults give me when I respond to their question with my own. Instead, she smiles even bigger and says “Because the wishes made from children’s hearts are what gives our world the magic it needs to exist. Wishes made from the heart are a person’s truest desires. And here in the Kingdom of Sweets it is my duty to ensure that your wish is granted so that my people may continue to live their happy lives.”

I can’t believe it. An adult that cares about what I want, what a kid wants. The only other adult that ever cared about what I want was my Kindergarten teacher Miss Gantt. She made me feel like my little five-year old world was the most important thing to her, and I’ll always love her. Queen Phrostina reminds me of her. Maybe adults aren’t so bad after all.

I clear my throat as Peter let’s go of my hand. I straighten my back and speak with purpose. “I wished for a world that wanted me around and a friend to share it with.” I’ve always wished for that, but I didn’t think I’d ever get my wish granted.

Queen Phrostina smiles at me and says “Your heart’s wish is my command!” She raises her rod and a beautiful rainbow erupts from its tip. The rainbow washes over the whole kingdom as more citizens emerge from their homes cheering for the renewal of their magic. Peter’s clothes begin to glow as the patches, rips and tears mend themselves until they look brand new. But his red stripes are replaced with black ones to match me. He smiles from ear to ear.

Peter shouts “Oh wow! Awesome! Thank you, your majesty!”

The queen kneels down to my level and asks “And what is the name of our new beloved friend?”

I smile the first genuine smile in months as I say “My name is Angela, and I can’t wait to play!” I run over to Peter and we take off into the Kingdom of Sweets to begin our very own adventures.

Eventually, when it was time for me to go home Queen Phrostina waved her rod again and I soared through the sky with open eyes.

The next thing I knew I was back in the sun room. My game piece was right where I left it and I hear my Aunt Nora shouting for me in the next room.

“Angela! It’s dinner time! I’m sorry I had to get some work done. We can play that game you wanted to after dinner.”

I smile to myself as I pick up my game piece and tuck it into my pocket.

I shout back “It’s okay! I found a new friend to play with!”