Alone in the hospital room, I felt an emptiness expanding within me. Amanda's words lacked the hope I had clung to, echoing the advice previously given by The Godmother about her firm resolve. Realizing that not even my intentions or actions could alter her fate plunged me into a whirlwind of emotions that overwhelmed me.

I yearned to let my tears fall freely, accepting the harsh reality that the girl who had carved a special place in my heart would soon be absent from my life. Jonah entered the room, immediately perceiving that my exchange with Amanda had not gone as hoped.

"It was that bad, huh?"

"She was aware of The Godmother's Pen. Yet, she didn't want to consider making a wish to allow her to live longer, not even for me."

Jonah, understanding the depth of my disappointment, quickly maneuvered my wheelchair towards the door. "Let's go get more candy. Trust me, from my experience, girls don't always mean what they say. It's often just a way for them to demonstrate their strength."

"How accurate is what you're saying? Or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

"Both. Now forget about what happened and focus on the task at hand, which is getting more candy."

Once back in our room, Amanda's response lingered in my mind. Jonah and Ashley sat beside me, equally at a loss for how to address or ease the turmoil I was feeling.

"I want to help her, I really do."

"What if you just write the wish? If it's granted and she lives longer, maybe deep down, that's what she wanted. Women like us tend not to mean what we say," Ashley said.

I glanced at Jonah, noticing a triumphant smile spread across his face. "I told you," Jonah whispered.

"If the wish only has consequences when both parties are in agreement, then it might not even come to pass if she truly doesn't want it," Ashley said, walking over to her bed to fetch her notebook, and placing it in front of me. "Here. It would be best if you did it now. We don't know how much time she has left."

"I don't know, guys; it just doesn't feel right to me."

"You want to spend more time with her or not?"

"I do, but her refusal seemed genuine."

"Sam, she's right. I overheard at the nurse's station that her treatments hadn't been effective. It sounds like she might not have much time left," Jonah said.

With the notebook laid out before me, I placed the pen's tip on the page, hesitating for a moment before writing, "I wish that Amanda had more time to spend with me." After jotting down the wish, I placed the pen aside while clasping my hands over the written words. Unsure of what I was doing, I took a deep breath, then whispered, "This, I wish from my heart."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

As soon as I finished writing the wish, the dials on the pen shifted, the count of words used dropped to 953.

I glanced at Ashley, afraid of my actions. "Do not worry, nothing will happen to her."

The tranquility of the moment was interrupted when the door to our room swung open. An elderly woman entered Nurse Angela by her side. "Jonah, we need to have a word with you, please."

Intrigued by the nurse's request, Jonah stepped out of the room.

"I am going to eavesdrop, do not rat me out," Ashley said.

The godmother materialized beside me, with a serious expression on her face. "You still did it, even when I warned you in good faith," she said, with disappointment in her voice.

I lowered my head, knowing that every word she said was entirely true. "I'm aware. The choice didn't sit well with me, either. My apologies."

"I hope you can live with the consequences of your decisions, young Samuel." The moment she finished saying her words, The Godmother disappeared. Ashley returned to my side and took a seat. "Did you manage to hear anything?" I asked her.

"It's not good. It seems that the lady is planning to take Jonah away. There's some issue with his parents."

Then, the elderly woman re-entered the room, this time with Jonah in tow. "You have ten minutes to say your goodbyes to your friends and pack your clothes."

"Jonah, what's going on?" I asked the moment the old lady closed the door.

Rushing over to me, Jonah embraced me tightly, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I have to leave with her, Sam. I really don't want to."

His statement made me curious, "Did she explain why she's taking you?"

His nod, accompanied by the stream of tears, conveyed the depth of his distress. "I am being removed from my parents' custody."

His revelation struck me. "Why? Where is your mother?"

"She wouldn't say much. Just that I have no other choice but to go with her. And they've finally figured out what's wrong with me."

Ashley looked visibly upset, her face mirroring the sadness of the moment. "You're not terminally ill, are you?"

"No." Jonah paused, wiping the tears from his eyes. "The old lady said something about me not needing to stay in this village any longer."

He moved back to his cubie, hastily collecting as many of his belongings as he could. Just then, the elderly woman re-entered the room, carrying several pieces of luggage for Jonah. "You can use these for now. Don't worry. The place you're going to is filled with kids your age. You'll make new friends quickly."

Nurse Angela came over, observing our concerned expressions as we witnessed Jonah's preparations to leave. "You seem troubled, Samuel. Is there something on your mind?"

I look up to her, annoyed by the circumstances. "Why are you taking him away?"

The nurse let out a sigh. "Jonah's diagnosis turned out to be promising. He's moving to a place where he can attend school and lead a normal life, just like any other kid. That should be a cause for celebration, shouldn't it?"

"Is he going to be taken to an orphanage?" Ashley asked. "He's already shared the situation with us. There's no need to withhold the truth."

Ashley's behavior was that of a fighter, possessing a keen ability to detect dishonesty—a quality I had observed in her since my arrival in the village.

"Yes, he will be joining other children at Oxford's House for displaced kids. That's all I can disclose about his situation, so I'd appreciate it if we could leave it at that," Nurse Angela said.

Jonah completed his packing and approached Ashley, giving her a heartfelt hug before digging through one of his bags to pull out his pirate hat. "Sam, I want you to have this."

"I can't take it. You're going to make new friends, and who knows, maybe we'll come to visit you."

Closing his eyes and placing the pirate hat on my lap, "I will make new friends, but this is for you to remember me every time you see it."

"Sharing adventures with you was amazing. Hopefully, we'll see each other again."

As the elderly woman took hold of the luggage, she began to escort Jonah out of the room. He threw me one last look, offering a half-hearted smile as a silent goodbye. Nurse Angela then came over to me, subtly sliding a letter under my pillow. Leaning closer, she whispered, "This is a letter from room 344."