From atop his black horse, sitting sidesaddle, I watched Thaddeus step into the deep pool of water at the creek’s bend. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he had promised something special.
I had to shade my walnut brown eyes with my hands from the sunlight’s glare. The hot sun seared my skin where my summer dress didn’t cover me. Sweat dripped from my body onto the saddle and horse. I envied Thaddeus as he dove into the water still wearing his black pants and black-and-white shirt. I imagined the water cooling me down and stripping away the feeling of fire I felt all over.
Today was our two-year anniversary. In my whole life, I had never imagined I could be so in love with anyone. Thaddeus was the charming, adorable, loving, handsome; the prince I had always yearned for. We were a perfect match. Perfect like the love found in dreams and stories. We were meant to be together even against my family’s tradition of selecting my future prince-to-be.
Thaddeus emerged from the water and raised his right arm into the air. His medium length blonde hair was drenched and covered his face, hiding his stunning green eyes. I noticed he was clenching something tightly in his hand.
“Cordelia! Come here!”
The excitement in his voice filled me with anticipation. Sliding off the saddle, I ran toward him. I wasn’t sure if I was more anxious to find out Thaddeus’s surprise or to jump into the water.
“I was melting like a candle!” I teased Thaddeus as I splashed into the creek and stood face-to-face with him. “What have you there?”
“Something,” he replied. “Something magical I was told would be in this spot.”
I raised my eyebrows and splashed water onto him. “Let me see!”
I jumped for his closed hand, but Thaddeus moved to the side and began splashing me back. He then took my hand and led me to the soft sand along the creek, where we sat next to each other.
“So?” I asked again, poking him in the ribs.
Thaddeus wagged his finger and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a dagger—the one he had taken from the goblin he killed protecting me–and turned away. I tried to see what he was doing, but became interrupted by a pair of doves that landed on a branch above me. The doves started to chirp and coo back and forth to each other in a beautiful tune.
They reminded me of us: such a perfect match.
“Finished,” said Thaddeus. “I hope you like it.”
Thaddeus held out his hands. There, nestled on his palms, was a rare, pure white wishing shell with words etched on its surface:
T & C FOREVER
My eyes welled with tears. “I love you so much, Thaddeus.”
I leaned over to hug and kiss him.
“One single wish together,” he said. “This way our love will always endure, never falter, no matter what.”
I bit my lip, nodded in agreement and placed my hand over his, trapping the shell between them.
“To love each other and be together forever, that’s our wish,” I told him.
He nodded in agreement. We swung our arms backward and forward in unison.
“One,” said Thaddeus.
“Two,” I said with my eyes wide.
“Three,” we said together and let go of the shell.
I made my wish, watched the shell sail through the air, turning several times before it plunked into the pool.
Thaddeus whispered, “Growing old with you would be any boy’s fairy tale come true.”
His comment made me flush as he squeezed my hand and stroked my hair.
I loved Thaddeus with all my heart. And my heart was what I had wished for because without it our love would cease to exist. I hoped the wishing shell would make an exception and grant both our wishes. Only time and fate would show us our true destiny together.
I still didn’t know who slipped the poisoned cherry to me, but my life was ticking away and I had yet to find a cure for the curse eating away at my heart.
Someone or something wanted Thaddeus and I not to be.
We kissed and embraced in a hug I never wanted to end.
~*~
It had been one year since Thaddeus and I threw our wishing shell into the pool of water. Wearing my same summer dress, I sat in the saddle atop Thaddeus’s black horse, which was unkempt with a twisted mane and dirty body. I watched my love walk into the creek in search of our special shell.
But today was nothing like the day so long ago. Many things had changed between Thaddeus and me. Even the weather agreed. Rich dark clouds boiled in the sky. The wind blew fiercely, mixed with the spattering of rain. The droplets of water landed on the saddle like my sweat had before. I watched Thaddeus vanish into the water and waited for him to re-surface.
I knew what was going to happen so I slid from the saddle once Thaddeus emerged from the water and held his arm high. I rubbed the horse’s head and waited.
But Thaddeus didn’t call my name and he didn’t smile. I missed his sweet voice and that charming grin that made me shiver inside.
Running to Thaddeus, I reached the sandy bank the moment he walked onto it. This time there would be no splashing of water. No fun of any kind. We both sat next to each other in silence.
Thaddeus whipped out his dagger, looked at me, then to the horse, turned away and began etching once again on the shell.
I wanted to cry but couldn’t. I wanted to embrace him in my arms, tell Thaddeus everything would be okay from now on, but I was unable to. I wished our lips could touch just one more time, but we were no longer together.
No longer forever.
A cawing sounded from above me. I looked up to see a single black crow perched on the same branch where the doves had been. It cocked its head, peered at us both and cawed again.
“Go away!” I screamed at the creature, “I won’t let you take me!”
Thaddeus finished what he was doing, turned, and faced the pool of water with the shell in the palm of his hand. Leaning over to inspect it, he had etched words into the opposite side of the wishing shell.
The words tore into my soul:
My Wish Is Dead
Placing my hand on top of Thaddeus’, it passed through him and the shell. I could affect them no longer.
I was dead and had been for six months. My wish, to lift the poisoned curse and to have a healthy heart, was dead as well.
Since my death, I had been tethered. Leashed to Thaddeus, I was forced to witness the utter sadness and downward spiral his life took since I left him.
Trying again, I concentrated and laid my hand on top of his. At first, there was nothing, but then a strange tickling sensation streaked from my hand, through my arm and spread throughout my body. Looking at Thaddeus, he quivered for a brief moment and stared at his hand. Shaking his head, he swung his arm back and forth, as I kept my hand in place.
“I wish for Cordelia and me to love and be together forever,” Thaddeus said in a shaky voice.
“I wish for Thaddeus and me to love and be together forever,” I said as the pure white wishing shell left our hands and soared through the air, flipping about.
The sky flashed. Thunder boomed around us.
Everything became slow motion around me, yet happened in an instant. The shell fell toward its watery grave. A beam of sunlight broke through the dark clouds and struck the shell. Two beams of energy shot out, one attached to my hand and the other to Thaddeus’.
The shell hit the water and the light vanished from the sky and our hands. Darkness enveloped me like a blanket. I could see nothing but a bright white light emanating from the shell in front of me, sinking into the water I couldn’t see.
What was happening?
I was frightened, yet strangely curious.
“I love you, Cordelia. I always will,” I heard Thaddeus say. I opened my mouth to say the same to him when a blinding flash stopped me.
“I love you too, Thaddeus,” I said and frantically looked around at my surroundings.
The sun was hot. I sat sweating in the saddle once again. I scrambled about and jumped off the well-kept black horse, confused.
“Cordelia! Come here!”
I swiveled around and looked at Thaddeus standing in the pool of water holding his arm above his head. There, in his hand, was the white wishing shell I knew so well.
I smiled. I cried tears of joy. I had been granted a second chance! No, Thaddeus and I had been granted a second chance.
Time had been reset. I knew what to do. This time, the wish would work and my heart’s poisoned curse would be cured.
I ran toward Thaddeus with haste. I would not die because this time our wish would be the same and that wish would save both of our lives.
I crashed into the creek tackling Thaddeus. The embrace sent us both toppling into and underneath the water. With our eyes opened and his arms wrapped around me, we kissed as we broke the water’s surface.
I told him with glee, “I can’t wait to see your present!”
“Well, then follow me, my love,” he said. We walked to the shore and sat.
Thaddeus and I were going to be in love until the end of time. And I vowed to tell Thaddeus the truth and hunt down my killer.
~*~
The black horse walked off and out of sight. Underneath the pool of water, the pure white wishing shell with the etching began to glow a brilliant, bright ivory that increased with intensity and exploded with massive power.
Everything then returned to normal.
The wishing shell, however, had vanished without a trace.