Being part of the small farming town of Bana came with responsibilities, mostly to keep up with the crops and muck out animals. But those who did that were allowed to wish once a year to the gods on the random day when the sky turned pink-violet.

As younger son of the mayor, Arlo had no leniency on those tasks, but he was also never allowed to wish for anything other than for his older brother or the town in general. Last year it was for a wonderful harvest, the one before that so his brother wouldn’t fail school that year.

Now it was July, the sky was violet and he was sick of having to help everyone else.

“The village needs a new cow, wish for that.”

“Sure dad.”

Arlo rolled his eyes but nodded sweetly. He knew most of the town used their own wishes for selfish things every year, bigger houses and more money. He just wanted one month where he could get a new shirt to replace the tattered one covered in holes that he had.

Slipping in the wish was easy, took a few seconds like usual once he had written the words on a scrap of paper and shoved them into the glass jar every family kept in the kitchen.

He came back to the jar three hours later to find it was empty.

“Really?!”

Arlo ran out into the garden, watching the slip of paper dance over garden fences and land on the other side of the stream, luckily dry.

Just as he bent down to pick it up a gust blew it further into the wheat field, then further again, and again.

“Oh please just come here!”

Arlo called out to the paper before finally snatching it into his hand.

Breathless but triumphant, Arlo slipped the paper back into the jar, sealing the lid firmly and only blinking when his eyes started to become desert-like and he was sure it wasn’t going anywhere.

Waking up the next morning Arlo was greeted with a new wardrobe of clothes, not overly stylish or expensive but not falling apart.

“Thanks for the cow Arlo, the Connorithes love it”

He peered out the window, new things were everywhere, then he went back to the jar, taking out the paper like every year once the wish had been fulfilled.

“Everyone gets all of their wishes. But please include me in everyone for once.”