It seemed the ring had again interpreted a wish in a benevolent way, taking into account the wisher's intentions. We were taken to an upscale home somewhere in the suburbs. From the men Jean and I saw on the street, it was as if neither of our wishes had taken effect yet. So, as Jean's later wish had implied, we had been brought back to a point where we would be able to watch the unfolding of the changes we had wrought.
But I quickly noticed that our "observer status" entailed more than just the ability to watch behavior. As Jean and I walked up the driveway to the entrance of the house, I glimpsed a neighbor trimming his hedges. Of course, he didn't notice me, but when my gaze locked on him, I suddenly realized that I could hear him thinking, even see what he was seeing. Not only would we be able to see the changes occuring, we would be able to experience them as well, if we so desired.
As I had suspected, this was the home of an average family. We passed inside to find two children seated at a breakfast table, a boy and a girl. The boy looked about nine and the girl was perhaps seventeen, although the makeup she wore made it seem like she might be tryin to look older than she really was. The boy, still in his PJs, was simply staring at his empty plate. The girl looked like she was dressed for school. She wore the common uniform, but with the skirt hiked up her thighs indecently.
Her mother, dressed in a nightgown and robe, was making pancakes for them both. She looked a little haggard and even upset, like she had just recently had an argument. By entering their minds, I quickly learned that the mother's name was Sarah while the boy was Rudy and the girl was Yvonne.
Then the husband came down the stairs. His name was Harry. Just the sight of him made my skin itch. Dressed in a business suit, complete with tie, he looked fresh, clean shaven, and recently showered. While the rest of the family was sort of sullen, he seemed bright and cheerful. Almost too cheerful. He looked like the kind of guy who couldn't wait to get away from his family and to his job (he was a lawyer, I realized.) Without even checking out his mind, I could tell he thought that men should be the head of the household. Indeed, he had probably prevented Sarah from getting a job, even when she was desparate to get out of the house for a while.
Harry was smiling until he came into the kitchen. Then he faltered a bit, grimacing at his daughter's attire. "Yvonne, how many times have I told you not to wear makeup to school? And do something about that skirt. You look like a prostitute."
Sarah glanced at her husband, almost as if she wanted to tell him to watch his tone. Rudy kept staring at his plate. Only Yvonne seemed to be willing to stand up for herself, shouting, "Daddy, this is the way I like to dress! This is how all the kids dress!"
"Not while you're living in my house under my rules," Harry growled.
And then the change began to take place. Willing myself into Harry's mind, I couldn't wait to feel what he felt as our wishes transformed him and his entire life... how was he going to look, think, and feel when the ring's power was done with him?