Ring of Wizardry

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Ring of Wizardry

Johnny Black looked up from the lawnmower he was filling with gasoline. He saw a dozen or so neighbourhood boys ranging in age from about ten to fourteen or fifteen. At eleven years old, Johnny was one of the younger members in the group of friends. Oh, and there was Billy Smith's kid brother, Steve, who was only seven. They let him tag along because he was small enough to get the hockey ball if it rolled under old man Henderson's rickety wooden fence.

"No thanks guys," he called back. "I gotta cut Mrs. MacPherson's grass."

Most of the group walked on past, but Donny Fargo, Johnny's best friend, stopped for a moment.

"What's up Johnny? You've been mowin' lawns every day since school let out."

"Just wanna make some cash."

"Savin' up for somethin'?"

Johnny looked at the group of boys as they moved away down the street. When he was sure they were out of earshot, he said softly, "Can you keep a secret?"

That meant it was really interesting. "Of course!"

"Swear you won't tell?"

Donny spit in his palm and crossed his heart.

"I'm gonna buy this." He pulled a tattered, rolled up comic book out of his back pocket. It was creased open to a page near the back showing dozens of ads for all sorts of useless but fascinating junk. Johnny pointed.

"The exploding bubble gum or the x-ray glasses?" Donny inquired doubtfully.

"No, here." Johnny moved his finger a fraction of an inch.

The ad read, "RING OF WIZARDRY. The POWER can be yours! You can have ANYTHING you want! MONEY! TOYS! FRIENDS! This MAGIC RING will grant WHATEVER YOU WISH FOR! Order now - supplies are limited. Only $59.95." There was a picture of a large ornate ring with mystical symbols etched into its surface. Below was an order form, and an address to mail it to.

Donny read the ad, then looked up dubiously at Johnny. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, and I've almost got enough."

"It's not real, Johnny, all this stuff is fake. My dad said so."

"Yeah, well my dad says you get what you pay for. Look at all the other stuff here." His fingers ran across the page full of ads with tiny print. "Three ninety-nine, six ninety-eight, nothing over ten dollars. Sure I know that's all junk, but this one is sixty bucks. It's gotta be real."

"You're such a sucker, man. That just means you're getting ripped off even worse! Ain't no such thing as magic, and if there were, it'd cost way more'n sixty bucks. Your dad's right, you get what you pay for."

Johnny wished he hadn't said anything. Donny would see. They all would. He shoved the comic back into his pocket and screwed the gas cap back on the mower. "Yeah, well, I gotta finish this."

"Okay, Johnny, whatever." Donny turned to go, but called back over his shoulder, "Don't forget my birthday on the 14th. That's Saturday. Don't plan any lawn mowing that day." He ran off to catch up to the others.

Johnny shouted after him, "Don't worry, I'll have enough before then." He pulled the cord, and the motor roared to life on the third try.

As he pushed the heavy mower back and forth over the lush green lawn, he carefully maneuvered around Mrs. MacPherson's prize begonias and dreamed about what he'd wish for.

Money was his first thought. He could wish for a million dollars. Then he could buy anything he wanted. Maybe he should make it a billion, just to be sure he'd never run out. But what would he do with it? Where would he keep that kind of money? How could he explain it if he had tons of money all of a sudden?

No, he decided, he'd be better off just wishing for small things, one at a time. That would save him the hassle of going shopping, too. What should he wish for first? A skateboard? A pair of roller blades? A new bike?

The work went quickly as he daydreamed about all the things he could wish for. Before he knew it he was done, and Mrs. MacPherson was paying him.

As he walked down the street toward home, he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the money he had saved so far. Adding what he'd received today gave him a total of $55. Tomorrow he'd mow Mr. Parker's lawn down on the corner and then he'd have enough.

The following afternoon Johnny took his small wad of cash to the post office and bought a money order. The ad was very clear about not sending cash in the mail. He filled out the order form carefully and put it in an envelope along with the money order. After copying the address and checking for mistakes, he licked the stamp and affixed it in place. Finally, almost ceremoniously, he dropped the envelope in the mailbox.

A strange feeling went through him, as though he had just achieved a major accomplishment. He walked home feeling almost light enough to fly. The endless possibilities raced through his mind, and it was hard for him to think of anything else.

Nearly a week passed, and Johnny diligently checked the mailbox every day, even though he knew he couldn't expect his ring to arrive that quickly. He spent his days playing hockey, baseball, and soccer, and spent his nights dreaming of everything the ring would bring him. Then it was July 14th, Donny's birthday.

Donny's dad had rented the local ice arena for the morning, so Donny and his friends had it all to themselves for two whole hours. Everyone was exhausted when it was time to leave, and they all agreed that it was the best birthday party ever.

Back at Donny's house, they had hotdogs for lunch, then enjoyed cake and ice cream while the birthday boy opened his presents. From his friends he got several action figures, a new soccer ball, a couple of board games, and a music CD. Then he opened the gift from his parents. Everyone gasped as he unwrapped a Turbo Challenge 3000, the latest and best video game console on the market.

"Whoa!"

"Cool!"

"Awesome!"

In no time it was hooked up to the TV and they were all taking turns, cheering each other on. Donny's parents had a hard time convincing everyone to leave when it was time for dinner.

The next day, Johnny went over to Donny's house again, hoping to play the new video game with him. He was surprised to find three other boys already there, but they all took turns and had a lot of fun.

The same thing happened for several days. It seemed everyone had lost interest in playing sports. They spent all their time at Donny's house, playing the game. The Turbo Challenge 3000 had instantly made Donny the most popular boy in the group. Still, it was a lot of fun, and Johnny joined in with the rest of them, even though he wasn't as good at it as some of the others.

After a while though, Donny started using the game to his advantage. It became the central focus of any conversation, and those who played better were rewarded with Donny's attention and more playing time. Donny didn't even want to talk to Johnny unless it was about the video game.

Johnny couldn't understand what was going on. Donny was supposed to be his best friend, but lately that hadn't been the case at all. The game, and the other kids, had become more important.

Johnny decided to get back at Donny. For three whole days he avoided his supposed friend. That was easy; all he had to do was not go to his house. Donny rarely went outside anymore, and always had other friends over to play the game. After three miserable days he went to Donny's house again. He was devastated when he found that Donny hadn't even noticed that he hadn't been around. Johnny went home feeling as though he'd lost his best friend.

He moped around for a week or so, hoping the interest in the game would fade and his old friend would be back to normal. Instead the fanaticism only increased. Johnny was having the worst summer of his life, and the hardest thing about it was that the boy who used to be his best friend seemed to be having his best summer ever.

Johnny was feeling so bad about Donny that he almost forgot about the magic ring he had ordered. Almost, but not quite. Still, he was surprised when it arrived in the mail.

The box was small but heavy. Johnny's worries about Donny were instantly dispersed as he focussed excitedly on the package. He took it into his bedroom and sat on the bed, barely able to contain himself. His breathing was rapid as he carefully pulled off the tape and opened the cardboard flaps.

Inside was a small lump, wrapped in several layers of tissue paper. There was also an embossed card with instructions printed in gold ink. It read, "Congratulations on the purchase of your magical Ring of Wizardry. To activate the ring's magic, place it on the middle finger of your right hand, close your eyes, and concentrate on the ring's power. While rubbing the ring with your left hand, say the words, 'I wish ...' and complete the sentence with your heart's desire. Repeat the wish three times, wait at least five seconds, then open your eyes. Your wish will have come true. CAUTION: Be extremely careful in the wording of your wish. Magic this powerful cannot be undone."

Johnny's hands were shaking slightly as he lifted the ring from inside the box and carefully began peeling away the layers of tissue paper that covered it. He soon held it in his hand, and it was even more wonderful than he imagined. It was much bigger than he'd expected, and very heavy. The gold was polished to an almost blinding sheen, and the symbols etched into it seemed to dance and flow like silver flames across its surface. It was warm to the touch, and without quite understanding how he knew, Johnny was certain beyond any doubt that the ring he held really was capable of magic.

He slipped the ring onto his finger as instructed, and felt it slide on as though made specifically to fit him. Somehow, despite its great weight, it fit very comfortably, as though it were an extension of his own hand.

Now that he had this power, nothing else seemed to matter quite so much. Still, he wanted to be careful, and did not make a wish right away. He slipped the ring off and placed it carefully in his pocket where it would be safe. Somehow all the dreaming he'd done before seemed insufficient. Now that he actually had the ring and knew its power was real, his plans for using it became a lot more tangible. For two full days he thought about what to wish for.

His first impulse was to rush over to Donny's house and discuss it with him. Then he decided not to. Donny would be busy with his game and all his other friends. He thought about wishing the game were gone, so things would be back to normal, but figured Donny would resent him for doing that. Eventually he decided to wish for a game of his own instead. That would put them back on even terms without taking something away from anybody else.

Johnny sat in his bedroom and reread the instruction card even though he had long since memorized every word. He took the ring from his pocket and placed it on his finger. After carefully phrasing his wish in his mind, he closed his eyes and thought about the ring's power. He could feel it getting warmer, and started rubbing it with his other hand.

"I wish to have a Turbo Challenge 3000. I wish to have a Turbo Challenge 3000. I wish to have a Turbo Challenge 3000." With each repetition the ring seemed to get warmer and heavier. As he waited the required five seconds, the heat from the ring became almost unbearable. Then, with a feeling of release like a bursting dam, it suddenly cooled. Johnny sat there for several more seconds, almost afraid to open his eyes. He knew it must have worked, but what if it hadn't? What if it had done something unexpected?

Finally, he opened his eyes, expecting to see the video game. It wasn't there. He looked all around his room, but the game simply wasn't there. How could that be? He knew something had happened. He had felt it. But there was no game. He pulled off the ring, looked dejectedly at it for a moment, and put it back in his pocket.

Just then, he heard the doorbell. It must be a delivery man with his game! He bolted across the room and was running down the hall when he heard his mother call from down stairs. "Johnny, can you see who it is? I'm busy in the kitchen." He flew down the stairs and yanked open the front door.

Instead of a delivery man it was Billy Smith and his little brother Steve.

"Can we play the game?" asked Billy.

"But what ... " started Johnny, but the other two boys had already pushed past him and gone into his living room. Johnny followed, trying to ask what they were doing there. Then he saw it. There in the living room, already hooked up to the television set, was a Turbo Challenge 3000.

Johnny could do nothing but gape at the other two as they began playing. Soon however, he was excitedly playing too, and the three took turns for the better part of an hour.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "How did you know about my game?"

Billy, trying to negotiate a particularly tricky obstacle, asked, "What do you mean?"

"How did you know I had this game?"

"Huh? I was at your birthday party when you got it. We all were."

That made no sense. Johnny had only wished for the game a few minutes before the two brothers had arrived. His birthday had been months ago. He was confused and needed some time to think about it.

"I think you'd better go. That's it for now."

"No fair!" piped up Steve. "It's supposed to be my turn now!"

Johnny ignored him and said, "I'm going over to Donny's house."

"Who?" asked Billy, as he saved his game and ended his turn.

"Donny. You know, Donny Fargo."

"Who's that?"

"Come off it Billy. Donny Fargo. He lives over on the corner of Fourth and Yew."

"That's an empty lot." Billy was looking at Johnny like he was nuts. "Come on Steve, let's go."

"But it's my turn!"

Johnny just wanted them to leave. "You can have the first turn next time."

This appeased the younger brother a little, and the pair left, mumbling about Johnny's sudden change of attitude.

Johnny couldn't figure out what was going on, but he followed his friends outside and ran over to Donny's house.

It was an empty lot.

A multitude of thoughts cascaded through Johnny's mind as he tried to comprehend what had happened. What was going on? Where was Donny? Where was his house? Why didn't Billy and Steve remember him? How did they know about his game? Where had his game really come from? Where had Donny gone?

Johnny reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. Somehow his wish must be responsible for all of this. He thrust the ring onto his finger, closed his eyes, and tried making another wish to get Donny back. This time there was no warmth, and nothing happened. He opened his eyes and looked at the ring. It was just a cheap plastic ring, much lighter than before, and the gold paint was already chipping off.

Johnny thought of the final words on the card. "Magic this powerful cannot be undone."