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.”

Arlo felt a weight being lifted from deep in his chest. He'd never been exactly aware that his heartbeats had fallen faster before, skittered frantically instead of keeping his pace, but now he was sure he was calmer, newer. Everything about him was stable, confident.

Walking past the fountain in the centre of town, he found himself looking upwards, at a sky he had forgotten was so vast, towards the clearing where horses where getting saddled up in the stables, braying softly, still expecting their morning apples. For the first time in ages, he held his head high. Nobody would look at him anymore and see just the awkward figure of the poor mayor's son in his tattered, moth-holed shirt and wonder why he hadn't wished for luxury for his year's wish, as was somehow self-absorbed custom in Bana.

He remembered why he loved this place, looking down at the fabric of his shirt. It was red, like the raspberries in the field that wasn't properly upkept, so the children would wander there from school and return with lips stained bright from the juice, and like the tiled roof of his best friend's house, where they sat under the moonshine and kissed when it became even more last year.

For once, it all felt perfect.

***

His father must have noticed the way he walked into the house with a spring in his step. Arlo had taken to shuffling, made himself smaller in the last few years. He knew ordinarily, only his girlfriend Kristen would drag him out of his shell.

"A mayor's son wouldn't." The mayor said almost as soon as he set foot through the door. It was worrying, Arlo thought, the way he was looking at him almost in despair, his eyebrows knit together and one hand running in exasperation through his gristled grey beard.

"Wouldn't what?" Arlo replied, although he wasn't stupid. He knew where this was going. He could never even slightly indulge. Wishes had to go to his older brother, no ifs or buts, especially after his accident five years ago. After all, he would be the next mayor. Arlo...he probably wouldn't be anything.

"I was selfish once." His father said, a darkness in his eyes that Arlo didn't quite understand. "Trust me, it doesn’t end well."

Arlo found himself setting that horrible sweet smile onto his face. It wasn't worth arguing. He wasn't selfish, surely? He just wanted to be cared for. "Sorry, father. What can I do to repay all of you?"