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The Wishing Tree (1): A Destiny City Star Festival Tradition to be held every year; In Town Square, there is a beautiful tree with spreading branches. It is tall, but the lowest branches are easily reached. The city has decorated the tree with small, starlike ornaments and glistening lights. Thick leaves and beautiful purple flowers dangle from the branches, along with a myriad of different colored papers with handwritten wishes. Next to the tree is a stack of blank paper with twine attached, and a handwritten sign that explains:

Write your wish on a sheet of paper and tie it to the tree. Take one wish off the tree and do your best to grant it. When you have granted the wish, bury the paper in the park.

The papers are biodegradable and filled with seeds. There are no rules for wishing, but you are encouraged to wish for something vague enough that it can be interpreted in many ways so that it can be granted; you do not write your name on it, but it is encouraged to write something that doesn’t wish for self gain, but rather something that can make the world a better place. Some wishes dangling from the tree already include things like “I wish there wasn’t so much litter in the park,” “I wish someone would clean the graffiti off the old historic buildings,” and “I wish there were more volunteers at the shelter.”

If you choose to use the Wishing Tree, what do you wish for? If your wish is private, you may write it on the paper and choose a spot in the park and bury it yourself instead of hanging it on the tree.


Emmett kicked a rock down the sidewalk as he wandered the streets listlessly. The Star Fest was in full swing, but he wasn't in the mood. He'd been in a real funk lately, and it was really starting to harsh his vibe. He had hoped that getting out and giving an honest try at enjoying the festival and being around such happy, cheerful people would have done something for him, but it really did not.

Sighing heavily, he kicked the same rock down the path a few more times, until he finally kicked it in a way that it shot off wildly and landed in the grass, not to be kicked by him again. Well, there went that for my entertainment. He snorted at himself, weaving through the crowds until he came upon what was probably considered the center of the fest. The wishing tree.

It was a nice thought, he thought idly as he walked up to it, fingering all the little papers with their wishes and seeds within. Not really his style, but... Hey, caring for the planet was a good thing, so whatever. More trees, more bees. Also more oxygen, that was pretty much a given.

“Hmm,” he mused aloud, “Since we provide precious carbon dioxide for the plants… And they, in return, give us that just as precious oxygen… Is it, in fact, we who are cultivated by the plants? After all, when we die, our bodies feed the grass and whatever. Damn. That’s sick.”

Emmett blinked as he got an odd look from someone nearby, tilting his head as that same person scooted further away from. Then the look of realization crossed his face and he slapped his palm to his forehead. Damn. He’d said that stupid bullshit aloud, hadn’t he? Great.

Sighing, he turned away from the tree, intent on heading back home and rewinding his DVR to catch the latest episode of The Fame, The Fortune, and The Faults, but something made him stop and turn back to stare at the tree.

Okay. Maybe he could come up with a dumb wish to put up there so someone could take it and plant it. That would be one of those good things to do, right? He sputtered his lips as he thought about it. Plus, if he was seen doing this, and someone recognized him later, this would be one of those good deeds.

Of course, he would probably also have to take a wish to go plant it somewhere, but... Nothing said he had to actually act on it, right? He could pretend it was some kind of dumb, private wish thing where the wisher wished the person reading it well, instead of save the homeless or what the hell ever was being written on these dumb things. Man, that sounded like a splendid idea. He’d not have to worry about doing whatever it was, and still gets to look good while faking doing it. He continued to think this over for a few more moments, staring at the tree. Maybe something would happen.

Sighing, he finally snatched a piece of paper and scribbled some bullshit about wishing for more volunteers to help the homeless and strung it up, before he finally began to consider taking one from the tree for realsies.