"Make a wish, Ron."


Toya held out the wishbone left over from the feast we'd had earlier in the night. To my surprise, Toya had prepared a massive turkey dinner for me in celebration of the success of 4Q, and KC Hall himself, the man that had first trained me in the art of this whole crazy business, had been there, in his wheelchair, with his wife, enjoying laughter and stories. I was surprised he'd still even talk to me after some of our previous run-ins. Especially the last one. When the Eliminator unceremoniously damaged his spine and crippled him for life.

The bones and plates were still scattered across the table, and my stomach still felt like it was near tearing, when she proposed that a wish be made. I grinned.

"Hmmm... Haven't done that in a while."

"It's been since Thanksgiving, hasn't it?" she said. She gestured with the bone, beckoning me to take the other end. "Come on. Make a wish."

I took the bone in my hand, and a million images rushed through my head at once: blood, tears, smiles, kisses, words, thoughts, dreams, goals, hopes, alpha, omega, and everything in between. My mind struggled to corral the stampeding visions, but at last it did, and one thing stood out within my mind like a lighthouse amongst the black clouds and fog.

"One... Two... Three!"

She pressed her advantage with the bone, and got the necessary leverage due to the momentary swirling of my brain, and she snuck away with the larger chunk of bone. I snapped my fingers in a Fifties, "Aw, shucks," kind of way, and she laughed triumphantly, leaning back in her chair and throwing her head back, adding to the power of the laugh. I couldn't help but share the laugh; she was way too giddy for something so small, and her laughter, as always, was infectious. She hadn't even had any beer; Hall and I had both suggested she have some to cool her head, but she'd refused.

"What's so funny, huh?" I asked, grinning even wider. She slowed her laughter and just smiled warmly at me, her face so perfect at that moment she almost glowed. It was like she was out of my wildest and splendidest dreams.

"I won," she replied. After another massive and beautiful smile that I returned as equally as I could muster, she inquired, "Well, I'll tell you what I wished for -"

"No!" I mock-yelled. "You can't tell me! It'll ruin the magic!"

"Ron, this isn't D&D," she chuckled. "There's no real magic. That silly Necronomicon and this silly bone is just a bunch of horse-hockey for kids to grow up with. For us grown-ups, it's all in fun."

"Then don't ruin the fun!" I responded, and she laughed at this, too.

"I'm gonna be honest: I wished for you to win at Havoc and become THA NEW THREE-TIME HWA ALL-STAR CHAMPION!" she said it with such vigor and gestured so gallantly I could see her replacing the HWA ring announcer. She looked at me, her extravagance once again caged up. "How about you, loser of the magic and fun? What did you wish for and fail?"

I smiled, and said, "The same."

"Now, I don't believe that for one second, mister," she stated, pointing at me with the bone shard. "I can see it in your face. What's tha dilly-o, play-ah?"

"That sucked when it was first said, and doesn't suck any less now."

"Shall I recite more quantum physics then, or will you spill the beans?" I paused and smiled again, though my smile was a little weaker now. She spied it like a spot of red in a sea of white. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I replied, my gaze losing itself once more within her eyes. "It's just a silly game."

"I didn't know it would upset you that much!" she gasped, saddened now. She tried to hand the bone to me. "Here, take it!" I couldn't help but laugh at this act of silliness.

"That's not how it works!" I chortled. "You won, so now your wish comes true!" I stood and flexed my arms triumphantly. "You are now looking at the next HWA All-Star Champion!" She let out a whoop of joy and applauded me, before sneak-assaulting me by pushing me back into my chair and getting atop my lap. She put a hand lightly on my cheek and the other on the back of my neck, and she gently tilted my face so that I could look up into hers. At that moment there I had never laid eyes upon anything more beautiful, and I doubted I ever would again in the rest of my years.

"What did you wish for, Ron?" she whispered. I leaned in and put my lips to hers in response, and the question was abandoned.

What had I wished for, even though I had lost the bone-breaking competition? She fulfilled it anyway, ironically. What I wished for...was about a few days away from coming true. First, taking the All-Star title from Hans. Then, taking down whoever was in the way to get the World Heavyweight title. Then, it would all be complete. Ronnie McNeil would be the most powerful man in the HWA, and virtually untouchable. And there is nothing Hans nor Buff can do to stop me from making it so.

-end feed-