The crystal ball had sat undiscovered for years, having accidentally been shoved under the bottom shelf one day when the shopkeeper moved it to dust and promptly forgotten in the shadowy space. Suddenly, a youthful face appears, hazily reflected in its grubby sphere. A little boy, no more than 4-years-old, is crouching down, exploring the lower shelves the adults barely glance at as his harried mother scans the racks for halloween costumes.
"Gumballs!" he cheers, his eyes lighting up with the thought of a candy prize. Digging stubby fingers in his tiny pocket, he triumphantly holds up a coin. He sets the coin on the floor and grasps the ball with two hands, dragging it out from under the shelves before twisting it around to find the coin slot. Sticking his tongue out, he fumbles the coin until it finally falls into the notch, setting off a whirring sound as the haze inside the crystal begins to churn. "Gumballs! Gum balls gum balls gum balls!" he chants, clapping his hands in anticipation.
The Crystal Ball of Desire searches the mind of its operator and determines exactly what he most fervently wants, and as a flash lights up the dusty ball, the boy hiccups once, his mouth suddenly full. Coughing into his hands, the momentary discomfort is almost instantly forgotten when he sees a bright orange gumball resting in his palms! Cheering once again, he pops the gumball back into his mouth, not noticing that beneath his hair, he is now missing an ear, the skin smooth and hole-less beneath his shaggy mop. Hopping to his feet, he scampers down the aisle to beg his mom to give him more coins - more gumballs to take home!!