by Louder

LuAnne waved to her ~friends~ as they left the ice cream shoppe. She had to adjust the car seat for her shorter frame. Once on the road, she pulled the rear view mirror around to see her reflection and then started fussing with her hair and worrying about a zit that she thought might be starting. Sara wasn't happy about her mother's lack of attention to her driving.

'Ohmigod! That's ~him~!' LuAnne exclaimed

'That's who?' Sara asked.

'Mark..... he's sooooooo hot!'

'I thought Mark was Debbi's boyfriend?' Sara asked

'Well ya.... but they're gonna date other people now and besides I'm just gonna, like, talk to him or something.'

Sara decided she had better wish her mother back in a more suitable form before she caused any trouble. Meanwhile, Kyle was still protesting that it was his turn to use the magic coin. Sara had trouble concentrating on her next wish with his bickering.

'You gotta give me a turn!!!' he cried.

'I will... later. Not now!'

'You promised!' he said.

'I never promised anything! You wait your turn!' Sara ordered as she considered 'wishing' him to be quiet.

'Girls are no fun!' he declared. 'You're all just mean and don't know how to play fair!'

'~Whatever~.... Turd!' she replied.

'I wish mommy wasn't a cheerleader anymore' she said upon deciding on her next wish. The coin warmed but she didn't see any changes. From her backseat vantage point Sara saw her mother's head remain in about the same position and her hair not change at all. Nothing seemed to change at all. Had she been able to see in the front seat she would have noticed LuAnne's cheerleading outfit going through a change. The skirt morphed into shorts and her top changed into a T-shirt. It was only when she bypassed Mark and continued on that Sara realized ~something~ had happened.

'I thought you were going to stop and talk to that boy?' Sara asked.

'Mark? He's a jock. They go for cheerleaders and 'high society' types. He'd never go for me...' she replied sounding very meek.

'I wanna use the magic coin..... It's my turn!' Kyle again started arguing.

'Do you promise to give it right back?' Sara asked him.

'Uh huh!!' he answered.

'Cross your heart?' she asked.

'OK' he answered as he made a motion crossing his heart.

Sara reluctantly handed him the coin. 'So what are ya gonna wish for?' she asked.

'I dunno...' he replied.

'You don't know? All that complaining and you don't know what you're gonna, like, wish for now that your sister shared it with you?' LuAnne added as they pulled into a parking place. 'You two should play nice. Boys are so silly....'

'Are not!' he protested.

'Uh huh' Sara added to the debate 'That's why mommy spends more time with me! .... Cuz we're girls and we're smarter!'

Kyle didn't look happy. Slowly, his expression changed. 'I wish mommy was a boy my age so we can be pals!' He said with a wicked grin.

'I don't think that's a good wish!' Sara said worriedly.

It was too late. A little blonde haired boy popped his head over the seat. He still resembled LuAnne but was decidedly male and only about 7 years old. He was sporting a missing tooth.

'What's your name?' Sara asked not knowing how to address her/him.

'Dumb ol girl! You know my name!' he/she answered as he/she climbed over the seat. The oversized shoes and shorts easily fell off but his/her large T-shirt hung to his/her knees.

'OK....Ummmm LuAnne?' Sara said hesitantly.

'You're funny.... NOT! Call me Louis or you'll be in BIG trouble!' LuAnne, now Louis ordered.

'Hey Louie.... Let's go play on the monkey bars!' Kyle offered.

'No!' Sara yelled 'Give me the coin back...You promised!'

'I know.....' Kyle replied 'but I didn't say ~WHEN~ I'd give it back'

With that remark, the two ~boys~ stuck out their tongues in unison and ran toward the monkey bars laughing the whole way!

Sara walked dejectedly behind them and watched as they roughed around on the bars and later in the dirt. Sara thought about Kyle's wish. Not only had he wished for LuAnne to be a boy but he had wished for him to be his ~pal~. Because of that they were seemingly inseperable!

'C'mon...give me the coin back...' Sara again pleaded after waiting for what seemed like forever.

'You mean this one?' Kyle said as he held the coin up.

'Yes.... Please....' Sara answered.

'OK, here ya go!' Kyle said as he flipped it to Louie. Soon, Sara was running between the two ~boys~ trying to intercept the coin as they tossed it back and forth. Even though she was older she couldn't catch it as they threw it over her head. Finally, she decided to use her bigger size to her advantage and tackled a surprised Louis before he could grab the coin. They both scrambled for the coin but she won the battle for it. She wanted to wish Louis away immediately but saw that a crowd of onlookers had gathered around. She figured they wouldn't notice the change but decided to make her wish without the spectators around....just in case. So far every wish seemed to alter reality just enough so that, unless you knew what was happening, the changes went unnoticed.

She stuck the coin in her pocket and grabbed the hands of the two ~boys~ and hauled them back to the car.

Once back at the car she was ready to make her wish when a policeman tapped her on the shoulder.

I Wish...Part 3

by Louder

The policeman looked at the three children. 'Is this your parent's car?' he asked Sara.

'Uh huh' she replied.

'Where are your parents? The car really shouldn't be parked here' he said as he motioned toward a nearby fire hydrant.

'Ummmm Mommy isn't quite herself right now... but I'll tell her as soon as she gets back.'

That answer didn't seem to satisfy the policeman. 'Are all of you kids related?'

Sare reached in her pocket and grabbed the coin before answering 'Ya.... we're all related and I ~wish~ you'd leave us alone.'

The policeman's radio suddenly cackled and he answered the call. Soon after he turned to the kids 'I've got to go. Just make sure you tell your mother not to park so close to hydrants'

'OK....' Sara answered.

'Ha! You almost got in trouble!' Louis told her. 'You're pretty lucky he didn't 'rest ya!'

Sara didn't much like Louis. And with Louis and Kyle teamed up, the two were pretty hard for her to bear. She held the coin tight and said 'I wish mommy was a girl again!'

'HEY!' Kyle yelled 'You can't do that! You're gonna ruin my wish!'

'You couldn't leave mommy likle that. We had to get her back to normal!' she said as she turned to see her mother again..... Unfortunately, she was greeted by a small 7 year old blonde girl now swallowed even more by the T-shirt that she wore.

It took Sara some thought to figure out what had went wrong. She finally realized that she hadn't wished for her mother to be normal or big again.... only for her to be a girl again. And that is exactly what the wish did. It turned 7 year old Louis into 7 year old LuAnne!

'~Now~ look at what you've done!' Kyle complained.

'Me? Like it's my fault? It's your fault!' Sara shot back.

'You're just a dumb girl and you messed everything up. Me and Louis were like brothers!' Kyle angrily replied 'One of these days you won't be bigger than me and then I'll get what ~I~ want!'

Suddenly, Sara realized that all the wishes had left her as the oldest. This didn't seem like such a bad thing. In fact she kind of liked the idea! Without much thought she readied her next wish.

'I wish I was 10 years older and you two thought you were my little brother and sister!'

The coin warmed as it again went to work. Sara started growing. At first her body got skinnier as she got taller. Then her curves began filling in. Her hair thickened. Her features matured and her clothes ripped and her shoes flew apart. She was a bit embarassed by the situation. Her top began to barely cover her breasts. They felt very strange to her. When the magic had stopped she had a 19 year old body.

Meanwhile, LuAnne and Kyle were in an argument about which one was taller.

Sara wanted to wish for some clothes that fit but wasn't sure how to dress her 19 year old body. She finally just wished for a T-shirt and shorts that fit. She never even considered a bra.

'He's bein' mean!' LuAnne complained to Sara.

'Nuh uh! She started it!' Kyled said.

Sara's face broke into a smile. She liked being grown up and she figured her ~big~ brother or even her ~mother~ wasn't going to be a problem for her anymore. They were more interested in bickering with each other than trying to tell ~her~ what to do. Just like a little brother and sister.

Sara started to speak but had to first clear her throat after hearing her new and deeper voice. She then continued:

'Now, you two be good! I wish you both would learn to mind me!' she said with a sly grin as she felt the coin begin to warm....

by louder

Sara liked her new 'power'. The children would now obey her so they weren't a bother anymore. A couple of older boys passed by and whistled at Sara. She especially ~liked~ that. She was glad that they liked the way she looked. It still felt strange to see the world from her new vantage point but she was getting used to it. She had an 18 year old body but she still an 8 year old mind and thought process.

Sara figured that they should get home. The ~children~ were bickering over something else by this point. Sara giggled as she ordered them into the car and watched as they immediately followed her orders. They grumbled a little bit as they got in the car but were otherwise well-behaved.

Her next problem was figuring out how to drive. She stared at the gear shift selector for a while. As she tried to figure out the workings of the car a young mother pushing a stroller came by. All of a sudden Sara thought about how much fun it would be to have a baby..... or two. She looked in the mirror at the two kids in back and considered making another wish. She decided that it wasn't the right time.... at least not yet! She again focused her attention on the young mother pushing the stroller. That young mother had now met up with a second mother who was also pushing a stroller and had a five year old boy walking along with her . They took a seat on a nearby bench.

Sara figured she could have a little fun with the situation before she headed for home. 'I wish the two mommy's were younger!'

She sat back and watched as the two women grew younger. At first the changes were slow but soon they became obvious as the two women reapproached their early twenties. They had both firmed up and their hair had regained a youthful lustre. Their clothing looked a bit large but not overly so. Neither seemed to notice but the little boy did. He pointed and tried to ask them what had happened but they only humored him and continued talking.

Sara figured a little more wouldn't hurt.... 'I wish they were even younger!' she said.

The little boy watched in fascination as the two young women began to grow even younger. Their hair lightened and any traces of fat on their bodies disappeared. Their clothes seemed to grow larger as they shrank inside them. Once the magic had stopped the two young mothers had been transformed into teens. They looked more like babysitters than parents. They kept right on talking although the subject was changed to clothes and boys rather than their financial problems that they had been discussing earlier.

The little boy tried to get their attention but they seemed to ignore him.

Meanwhile, Kyle and LuAnne had grown restless. 'When we gonna leave?' Kyle asked.

'Yeah.... I'm thirsty and my legs hurt!' LuAnne whined.

'You kids BE QUIET!' Sara ordered.

Both kids quieted. Sara looked back at the two teens sitting on the bench. 'I wish they were the same age as the little boy so they could be playmates!' She finally said.

Immediately, the two teenagers began changing. Their arms receded into their blouses and their legs retreated into their pant legs. Their shoes remained on the ground as their feet shrank out of them. Their clothing piled around them. When it was finished, two 5 year old girls sat on the bench giggling. This time when the little boy tried to get their attention they listened. They didn't know what kind of game he was talking about as he tried to explain their 'gettin' littler'' but they were anxious to play anyway. In moments, they were on the ground playing in the dirt. They all seemed to be having a great time as they ran around and rolled in the grass.

Finally, Sara decided she had better 'fix' things. 'I wish the two mothers were back to normal'

Sara watched as the two little girls quickly began to grow. She had to laugh at the scene as two grown women, one with a skinned up knee, suddenly found themsleves rolling in the grass and didn't know why. They were both barefoot, their hair was down, and both were wearing only their grass stained blouses. Neither one said anything as they gathered up their discarded clothing. Neither one knew what to say! The little boy was laughing at them and begging them to 'do it again'.

With that situation resolved, Sara was now ready to again attempt figuring out how to drive. 'I wish I knew how to drive this thing!' she said.

And with those words, all the knowledge she could ever need to drive her mother's car came flowing into her head.

Just as she began backing out the cell phone began ringing. From the 'caller ID' she could see it was her grandmother calling!

by Louder

Sara looked worriedly at the phone. There was no way she could answer it with her 18 year old voice. And she couldn't put her mother on the line either. Even Kyle's voice was too changed to be convincing.

'You gonna answer that?' LuAnne asked.

'Ummmmm Yeah Ummmmm in a minute' Sara replied hoping the ringing would stop before she picked it up.

'I wanna answer it!' Kyle declared as he reached for the phone.

'NO!' Sara said just before he grabbed it out of the seat.

'I wish the phone would stop ringing' she said quietly. It suddenly stopped!

Sara breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't ready to return everyone to normal just yet. If she'd picked up the phone she would have had no choice and likely would have been in big trouble.

----

Back at her grandmother's house:

'I don't know, John, it just disconnected' Carol said.

'Damn cell phones are worthless when you really need them!' John growled.

'Well, it rang a long time and no one picked up anyway. Maybe LuAnne will get the message I left for her on her machine.'

'~Maybe~' John said disgustedly 'I should have told you about the coin. I didn't figure you'd believe it though. And I sure as hell never thought you'd give it away!'

'Well, I'm still not so sure I believe it, but I never should have given something away without asking. I figured it was just worthless junk'

'Junk? All of my things are collectibles. Most of them are rumored to have certain powers or abilities. Now, I know most of that is bunk but it just so happens some it could be true! This coin is one of the ones that work!'

'Work? Honestly, John.... you're not starting to believe that stuff are you? All those books are starting to go to your head in the wrong way!'

'Take a look at our house. How could ~we~ live in a house like this?' John asked her.

Carol shrugged. 'Well, we ~did~ win the lottery!'

'We played one damn time in 20 years and WON.... doesn't that seem a bit ~strange~?'

'I just figured we were due for some luck....'

'Luck? Well, when was the last time either one of us was sick? We've been pretty ~lucky~ there too, huh? Pretty lucky with the weather on our vacations, too. Car ever break down lately? Pretty darned lucky, huh? And pretty lucky that the court lost any record of your speeding a ticket a while back.... and REALLY lucky that.... well, you get the point!'

Carol looked dumbfounded. She had to admit that they HAD had a really good run of luck. 'Could it be more than luck?' she wondered.

'So, that coin brings luck?' she asked 'Is Sara going to have good luck?'

'No! It brings wishes! The story goes that Merlin himself cast a spell on that coin. And now and 8 year old has it! If she figures it out or loses it.... or heaven forbid...accidentally wishes for something terrible.... *shakes head* We just need to get it back! Let's split up. You head straight to thier house and I'll check places that they might've stopped'

-------

Sara found driving fun. It was like playing a video game but not nearly so hard. As she pulled up at a stop light she noticed an elderly couple in the car beside her. They were easily in their 70s and likely almost 80. Both had grey hair and looked frail. The old woman's shoulders slumped noticably while the man's posture was only slightly better. Sara giggled as she said 'I wish they were younger'

The coin worked it magic. The old couple began to sit up straight and their hair began to darken. Their skin begin to tighten and take on a healthier look. Finally, their ages had been cut in half. They were both now in their 30's. When Sara saw that they were no longer getting younger she developed a curious expression on her face. 'They're still ~old~?!?!' she mumbled. 'I wanted them to be young again!

'I wish they were young like those kids' she said motioning to a group of teens waiting to cross the street.

The couple began growing younger. Much younger! His hairline filled in where it had been thin. Her hair lightened and got curlier. The remaining lines on their faces disappeared. Their height shrank as they re-entered teendom. A few light freckles appeared around the bridge of her nose. Her curly hair cascaded around her shoulders.

*HONK*

Sara heard a car horn and looked away from the two teens. The light had turned to green! She sighed and slowly pulled away.

*HONK* Honk* *HONK*

She looked back in her mirror to see that these honks weren't for her but rather for the two teens in the 20 year old 4 door car. She could see the 16 year old boy kissing the 15 year old girl while both were totally oblivious to the traffic around them.

She thought about wishing them back to normal but decided against it.

'When ya gonna let me have my turn again with the magic coin?' Kyle asked.

'You'll have to wait' Sara told him figuring he'll probably never get a turn!

'What magic coin?' LuAnne asked.

'Sara's got a magic wishin' coin!' Kyle explained.

'Oooooooh I wanna play with it too!' LuAnne exclaimed.