BooksBarbecue
Back The Wishing Game Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. PREFACE
  2. Full Page Image
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. One week ago
  6. THREE
  7. Present day
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO

"What about... one hundred? Will I get a boon if I get one hundred points?" he inquires in a rather hopeful and innocent tone—almost like a kid asking for something off his wishlist.

"I don't see why not," I agree, leaning in and placing my chin on his shoulder.

If the points matter so much to him, then I'm sure he'll put in the effort and be nicer, not just to me but to everyone else too. A smile plays at my lips. Ze is competitive—and proud. By turning this into a competition, I can give him the incentive to stop being rude to people.

"Good," he purrs, satisfied. "Make sure you do not forget to add up my points."

"I won't, I won't." I chuckle.

"I shall hold you to that." He smiles.

Pleased about our deal, he hums lightly to himself as he continues walking. I can feel the deep vibrations reverberate from his warm body, melting into my own and lulling me into a sense of peace and comfort. I nuzzle my cheek against the material of his shirt, releasing a soft yawn as I feel my eyes slowly closing, my body demanding some rest.

"Sleep, little human," I think I hear Ze whisper.

THIRTY-FOUR

I don't know how long I sleep for, but as I open my eyes, I'm happy to see that it's not dark out yet. I'm still on Ze's back as he walks through the dense forest.

The sound of birds chirping from the branches of the trees startles me back to reality, and I blink the sleep away as I take in our surroundings.

Though there is still rich foliage all around, the environment is slightly different.

Leaves and twigs crackle under Ze's weight as the ground is a mix of dirt, moss, and stone. The trees are larger than before—so much so that I can barely see traces of the blue sky. For the first time, it dawns on me that despite being a foreign world, with a toxic atmosphere for outsiders, it's so very similar to my own world. The vivid green of the leaves, the earthly brown of the tree branches and the muddy ground, the clear blue of the water and its refreshing taste, the textures of the plants and rocks; they are all so similar. I may not be too knowledgeable in science, but I wonder if perhaps this is not a universal requisite to produce and maintain forms of life. Maybe they are similar yet different enough to ensure a parallel evolution—from cells to complex systems.