As I walked to the funeral parlor I thought over how to word my wish. I thought about just having Beldazarr fix their bodies but then there was the problem of explaining how they rose from the dead. I didn't think that people would believe God resurrected them. Even if people did believe that they would get unwanted attention which I didn't want. Maybe I could make them shifters so Kim survives the accident and Janet and her mother wouldn't be killed in the hospital. The only problem was that I didn't know how they had been killed. It's tough to kill a shifter because of our shifting ability. One would have to either catch us while we're asleep or sick in order to kill us. Catching us while asleep doesn't always work since we can still shift while asleep. Catching us while we're sick is the sure-fire way to kill us since we can't shift while sick. Same goes with being poisoned since our bodies have to use the resources to fight the poison just as they do when we're sick.
I had the wording worked out by the time that I had arrived at the funeral parlor. Since it was night it was locked but I should be able to get in. They had a security guard here and I thought that it was Mike on tonight. Mike was one of Mommy's friends and he knew that we were shifters. I was sure he would let me in to see Janet. I went to the side door and pressed the buzzer to let the security guard know someone was here. After a moment Mike's voice came over the speaker with, "Hi Ariel. What brings you here?"
"I want to see Janet," I said my voice catching a bit.
"I can't just let you in to see her," Mike said sadly.
"Please let me see her Mike. I was sick and couldn't go see her in the hospital. I have something I want to tell her and I'm not comfortable telling her when there's a lot of people around." I didn't lie saying that.
There was a moment of silence and then Mike said, "I think I know what you want to say. You do know that it won't bring her back."
"I know," I said quietly. What I wanted to tell her wouldn't bring her back but I was willing to bet that my wish would.
"Ok I'll let you in but you can only stay for a short while," Mike said and then buzzed me in. "She's just down this hall," he said once I was in.
"Thank you Mike. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"I think I do," Mike said looking like he might. "Her coffin is open so you can see her."
I nodded and headed down the hall. As I did I went over the conversation I just had. With that moment of silence I began to wonder if my wish was granted before I wished it. It was possible with Beldazarr being able to reach through time. I entered the room and saw three coffins that were opened. One had steps in front of it and that's the one I went to sure that it would be Janet's. My hunch was right and I saw Janet laying there looking like she was just asleep which would be the case when my wish was granted. I was just about ready to rub the lamp when I saw her chest rise a bit. It could have been my imagination so I had to be sure. I concentrated on enhancing my hearing. My ears became larger, pointed, and covered in fur like those of a dog. In fact they were dog ears now. As soon as they had finished forming I could hear a lot more than I could before. I heard the creak of the chair Mike was sitting in and my own heartbeat. I also heard three other heartbeats and I knew they were alive.
Now I had to decide whether they were alive because of my wish I had yet to wish or if they had never died. How do I do that though? After a moment's thought I came up with something. I was willing to bet that Beldazarr needed me to actually make the wish even if he had already granted it. So if I decided not to make that wish then he couldn't grant it. If he couldn't grant it then Janet couldn't be alive if she had died. Making up my mind not to make the wish I listened closely to Janet and her family. Their heartbeats didn't stop so they weren't alive because of my wish.
Smiling I bent down close to Janet's face and said, "I love you Janet." There was no reaction but then I did something that people would consider disturbing if Janet really was dead. I planted my lips on Janet's and forced my tongue into her mouth. I felt Janet stiffen in surprise and knew that she was cross with herself for reacting. I quickly pulled away to see her eyes wide open and staring at me.
Her heart was racing and she finally asked, "What happened to your ears Ariel?"
I had forgotten what my ears looked like. Now I had to decide what to tell her.