Quilt

There once was a queen, pretty and wise. Her husband was a king, just and nice. They ruled over a land far far away where faces were bright and the sky never grey.

The Queen was happy, but she was afraid. She wouldn’t always be young and her face not always fair. She rummaged through her heirloom and found a quilt.

The Quilt was magical; it made things true. She wrapped the Quilt and closed her eyes. She held it tight as the Quilt came to life.

“Tell me a wish and I shall make it true,” the Quilt spoke.

“Anything at all?”

“Just make the wish, my Queen, and it shall be yours”

“I wish for eternal youth”

“Are you sure, my Queen?”

“Yes! Yes! Please. Everything is perfect as it is. I wish nothing ever changes”

“I will do as you say, my Queen, but there’s a catch. To grant you your wish, I will need to steal a few years from a few people”

“Do I know these people?”

“No, my Queen. They are complete strangers”

The Queen thought hard. “Will they suffer for a wish of mine?”

“No, my Queen. They will not even notice the years they lost”

“Then pray make my wish come true. Make me a queen who will never grow old”

“As you say, my dear Queen,” said the Quilt as it shone bright. “Ten years from a young woman who has it all. Ten years from a mother, proud and tall. Ten years from a woman adored by the big and small. Ten years from a woman who has been through it all”, chanted the Quilt and tiny stars filled the hall. A minute later, the stars disappeared and the Quilt fell on the floor. The Queen, on the other hand, was never seen again.