Never Wish in Front of Strangers

“You just had to go and open your big mouth didn’t you?!”

From the moment Aster Baylin agreed to go on this hike with his sister’s best friend, he knew he’d made a god awful mistake.

“How was I supposed to know he was a genie?!” Sofia Tarron bit back as the ground around her continued to (quite literally) slowly swallow them both up. Her idiotic best friend had put them up to this, forcing Sofia and Aster to hike together so that, maybe, they could finally get along. What a stupid, stupid thing to agree to.

“The guy had a turban!” Aster shouted back.

“Lots of people wear turbans! You shouldn’t profile!”

“He was in the middle of nowhere!”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere!”

They continued to try and pull themselves out of the ground to no avail. They both had sunk down to their knees and now matter how much they tried to claw and dig their way out, nothing worked.

“He didn’t even have a bag! What hiker doesn’t even have a bag on them?!” Aster continued, his teeth gritted with frustration.

“He could have been a light packer!”

Aster growled and in a mockingly high pitched voice said, “I wish we could stay here forever! Did your parents never teach you not to say a wish in front of strangers?!”

“He asked me if I liked the view! What was I supposed to say?”

“You’re supposed to say yes! Or no! Not say a wish that dooms us to be buried alive!”

“FINE!” Sofia paused her struggling and the idyllic looking hill they were sinking into went silent. “Fine… I was an idiot. There, you happy?”

Aster picked at some blades of grass around him, the ground now halfway up their thighs.

“No, I'm not happy… Course I’m not happy.”

Sofia sighed and looked around at the view. It really was beautiful. At the top of the hill they could see all across the rolling countryside, the fields in bloom, the rushing rivers. The sun shining down on them was warm and comforting, the breeze gentle and cooling.

“There are worse places to die.” She said quietly.

“I suppose…”

“Plus, we’ll save on burial costs.”

Aster looked at Sofia incredulously.

“Are you really joking about our imminent deaths?”

Sofia shrugged slightly, the ground now up to their hips.

“I would joke about that ridiculous bird's nest hair you have on your head, but as you’re about to die it feels a bit low brow.”

They locked eyes and for a moment Sofia wondered if he was going to try to punch her. Instead the corner of his mouth twitched and before she could comprehend what was happening he burst out laughing. A full belly laugh that had him clutching his stomach and tears forming in his eyes. His laughter was stupidly infectious and before Sofia could help it, she felt the corners of her mouth lift and soon her own laugh was ringing through the hills with his.

Aster mused in his head just how ridiculous the whole thing was. He was sinking into a hill, right next to his sister’s best friend. Sofia-Freaking-Taran of all people. It was so absurd and downright nonsensical that he couldn’t help bursting into hysterics.

“We look insane!” Sofia gasped through her laughs, tears running down her face from the intensity of it.

“Good thing there’s no one around to see us!” Aster grinned back, but Sofia’s smile faulted at that point, her laughter dying off. The silence that hit them then was overwhelming. Sofia looked down to see they were now buried to their waists and Aster’s smile faded as well. She looked at Aster and he thought to himself that her eyes were the saddest thing he had ever seen.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Her voice was quiet and there was a vulnerability in it that Aster had never heard before.

“It’s alright.” He replied in a monotone voice.

“No it’s not. You were right, I was an idiot. You shouldn’t have to die for my own stupidity, it’s not fair.”

Aster didn’t know how to reply to that. They were now both up to their chests in the ground and the tears falling down Sofia’s face were ones of pure despair.

“No one will know what happened to us. We’ll just be gone.” Sofia said quietly.

Aster tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat but couldn’t help the tears of his own falling.

“Our bags are still there.” He said, turning his head to the side to look at them.

They had taken them off once they had finally reached the top of the hill, which despite their hike of endless bickering, had actually been a nice moment. After walking for hours, they were both too out of breath to argue anymore, meaning they could finally just enjoy the view they had worked for. Until that genie condemned them to be buried alive, presumably for his own sick pleasure.

“It’s not your fault Sofia. You didn’t want this. You didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Sofia locked eyes with Aster and she could see the sincerity in them. She could also see that the ground was now up to their shoulders. Aster kept his eyes on Sofia, refusing to look down at his approaching death.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a prick. You’re a good friend to my sister. I’m… I’m glad she had you.” His voice trembled slightly, his tears hitting the ground as it rose up his neck.

Sofia tilted her head back, trying to make sure her mouth was the last thing to be buried as she clung onto the last seconds of her life.

“I’m glad she had you for her brother. I’m glad…”

A sob escaped her and Aster’s heart broke. For himself, for Sofia, for his sister who would never know what happened to them.

“I don’t want to die..” He whispered in a moment of raw vulnerability. Both their heads were tilted all the way back towards the sky as the ground swallowed their necks, ready to claim the last part of them.

Sofia sobbed again. She had never known such helplessness, such sorrow. And before the ground claimed all of her she said,

“I wish we didn’t have to die. I wish we were free.”

Aster closed his eyes and waited for the end. But it never came. He opened his eyes again in confusion and wobbled a bit as he found himself standing on the very solid feeling ground. He looked up to see Sofia also wobbling from having just been placed back on her feet somehow. She looked at Aster, her mouth wide in surprise, her tear lined face the only indication that anything horrible had just happened. She looked like she was about to speak when a grating voice chuckled behind them.

“Well it took you long enough!”

They both turned to see the genie responsible for their time in the ground and upon seeing his smug face Sofia felt an inordinate amount of anger take root in her. She curled her hands into fists at her side and her whole body was shaking from rage.

“You bastard. You buried us in the ground! You left us to die!”

Sofia suddenly felt Aster’s presence at her side and he placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She didn’t quite know what to make of it, but her shaking did calm down somewhat.

The genie, much to both of their annoyance, just waved an arm in dismissal.

“I knew you’d wish yourself out eventually! Anyway, must dash! Many more wishes to grant!”

And with that he vanished into thin air.

The air went perfectly still as the two of them stared at the spot the genie disappeared. Aster took a deep breath and before he could consider what he was doing, he pulled Sofia into a hug. Taken by surprise she stiffened slightly, her arms still at her sides.

“Wha- What are you doing?”

Aster continued to hold her as he laughed gently.

“I’m hugging you, you moron. It’s what people do after near death encounters. Now hug me back before it gets awkward.”

Unable to help herself, Sofia chuckled and raised her arms to finally hug Aster back. They stayed like that for a good while until Aster pulled back, a small smile on his lips.

“Shall we head home?”

Sofie couldn’t help her own smile forming, a strange sense of contentment settling in her as she looked up at Aster.

“Yes. Let's go home. And Aster?”

Aster raised an eyebrow as he picked up his bag.

“Yes?”

“If you ever mention this to anyone I’ll wish you into a toad.”

Aster laughed and threw Sofia’s bag to her.

“I don’t doubt you would for a second.”

He winked at her, the simple gesture making Sofia feel strangely giddy, and together they descended back down the hill and on their way home.