Juan Pedro Dela Cruz Monteza was the name his father gave to him. "No one would steal your name away from you," his father said, "It's one of the only things you'll ever own." Of course, it's true by all accounts. No one would steal a name that long and it's way too colloquial sounding. The other true thing about his name is it's one of the few things that he'll ever own. His family is dirt poor and they live in a shack of broken plywood. They have a farm but they don't own it. Eighty percent of their harvest goes to their farm owner while the rest is sent to the market to be sold.
Juan sighs. He hates his life. Why did life give him an unfair lifestyle? Of all the places in the world, why was he born in a decrepit province under the care of a family that is poorer than rats? He hated it from core to skin. His blood would boil with jealousy every time he sees a well-off kid living the high life in television series. They are rich, handsome and gifted with the privilege to live in a better life. Juan wants all of that to be his. Despite all of that, Juan never sought to change his life. He would not help his father tend the farmland nor go to a school to study. He'd rather sneak on a tree and watch the television in their neighbor's house. He dreamt big but his actions were small.
Juan would continue living this kind of life. Until he stepped on a particular mound of dirt that suddenly appeared on their farm.
Just as he stepped and on the mound, a red wisp came from the wreckage and congealed into a small person with red ears and angry eyes. It's wearing tattered clothes and on his arms was a small sword the size of a pen.
"What's the big idea!?" The small person said.
Juan peered closer at the person and realized that is wasn't a human. It's a 'Duwende' or an Earth Elf. His grandma would often tell stories about these mischievous creatures lurking in the forest beyond their farm. Of course, he didn't think that they were real. They are just stories to keep children away from wandering into the forest. But with the sightly man before him, he's questioning whether they exist or not. Or this man sleeping in a dirt mound is just a really small bearded person.
"What are you doing gawking at me after you destroyed my house!?" The person fumed.
"Destroyed your house?"
"YES! I built it yesterday and you destroyed it. You know what this means boy?"
Juan gave a disapproval look.
"This means that I'm going to curse you. Not only you but your family as well."
"Wait wait wait. You're going to curse us after I destroyed your home?"
"Yes,"
Juan smirked. He may lack the hardworking and responsible attitude of his family but he has a quality he could consider his own. And that is his cunningness and wit.
"I didn't destroy your house. You're the one who destroyed the image of our house."
"Are you suggesting that I am the one at fault here?"
"Yes. Do you see that?" Juan pointed at his decrepit house. "That is our house. And the place your mound or whatever you call it is in the path towards our house. Therefore, this place is a part of our property. We've owned this land for generations and you decided to build your house without asking us first. You're trespassing and not only that, you built an unsightly structure in front of our very house. I should be the angry one, not you!"
"I, uh-"
"What? You're still going to curse us? Because that is going to be unfair. What would the other elves say about you?"
"Okay! Okay. I'm going to move out."
Juan smirked once more. His talk with this creature isn't far from over just yet.
"After you did all that, aren't you supposed to pay me for damages?"
The elf fumed in a deeper shade of red. His pride was broken and it's going to be smashed once more.
"Okay. Tell me what you want and leave me alone."
"I want to become better"
This is the part where Juan's wit comes to an end. In the rush of a moment, he forgot that elves are mischievous creatures and mischief bound itself to his vague wish.
In an instant, a flash of light enveloped the two of them. In another, Juan woke up feeling lightheaded and free. There was darkness around him and in that darkness was thousands upon thousands of sparkling dots. He was in space, Juan realized. When he turned his back, Juan was met with a bright blue marble as far as the eye could see. Just as he realized this, he was pulled back into the Earth but not into the country he came from. Rather, he was pulled somewhere out West.