The next day, Michael woke up to find the crystal ball still glowing softly, showing Billy sound asleep in his room. Curiosity got the better of him as he wondered about the true limitations of these artifacts. Grabbing the bone, he whispered, "Wake up." To his astonishment, Billy’s eyes fluttered open. Michael then tried, "Levitate," but nothing happened. "Looks like it can't bend the laws of physics," Michael thought to himself. Not knowing how to turn off the crystal, he hid it under his bed and went to take a shower.

When he exited his bedroom, the smell of breakfast wafted through the house. His mom was already in the kitchen, preparing their meal. She greeted him warmly with a smile. After bathing, Michael joined her in the lounge. His mom brought him a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. Michael stood up to get some juice from the fridge but found none. "Mom, we are out of juice...we are actually out of everything," he said with a sigh.

"Honey, we'll have to be strong. I have no money right now, so we have to make do with the little we have," his mom replied, her voice tinged with concern and sadness.

Michael understood; he was in no position to complain since he couldn't provide. He ate his breakfast in silence, the eggs tasting bland despite his hunger. After washing the dishes and cleaning the house, he returned to his bedroom and saw Billy on the crystal ball, enjoying a lavish meal. The sight of Billy's plate filled with delicacies made Michael’s stomach churn with envy. Even though he had just eaten, he felt a gnawing hunger and a burning jealousy. "No wonder he is fat," Michael muttered to himself.

The more Billy ate, the more Michael’s jealousy grew. A thought came to mind, and he grabbed the bone. "Say food," he whispered. He wondered if he could only control movements or he had control over speech too. He watched intently as Billy, mid-bite, suddenly said, "Food," causing a puzzled reaction from his family.

With this, Michael tested his ability to control Billy's speech. He realized that Billy was always confused about what happened after he gave him orders, meaning he had no idea when he was being controlled. Emboldened by this discovery, Michael decided to conduct a riskier experiment. He waited until Billy's family finished breakfast and left the table. Then he whispered to the bone, "Grab the juice from the fridge and deliver it to Michael's house. Leave it in front of the door, then walk back into your house."

The stakes were higher now. What if Billy came to his senses while walking to the house? What if he remembers that he delivered the juice here?

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

He watched the crystal ball closely as Billy, seemingly in a trance, opened the fridge and grabbed an unopened juice. Billy walked out with it, and Michael’s heart pounded as he saw Billy approaching his house. Michael opened his bedroom door slightly and peeked at his mom, who was busy in the kitchen. He then looked back to the crystal ball and saw Billy arrive at the doorstep. Billy placed the juice on the ground and walked back home. Once Billy was no longer near the house, Michael quickly walked to the door, opened it, and grabbed the cranberry juice Billy had left. He went inside, clutching the juice with a mixture of triumph and fear. He looked down on it disbelief.

"Where did you get that?" Michael’s mother asked, startling him. He was so lost in his mind that he hadn't noticed her standing there.

"I, I had a little money on the side, so I decided to buy this juice," he lied, trying to sound casual.

"Where did you get that money?" his mom inquired, her tone skeptical. Before Michael could answer, she sighed and said, "Forget I asked that." She took the juice and hugged Michael. "God bless you, sweetheart." She put the juice in the fridge, her eyes welling up with gratitude.

Michael quickly retreated to his room, forgetting to lock the door in his haste. His heart was beating. What he had just done shouldn't be possible. He still couldn't fully believe that such power existed. He also wondered why the witch doctor chose him. He sat on his desk. He watched the crystal ball and saw Billy had finally reached his house. He saw Billy and his little sister talking.

"Where have you been?" asked the little sister, her tone curious.

"I...don't know," stuttered Billy, looking bewildered. Michael was still amazed and scared by what he had witnessed. His experiment was successful. "No one man should have all this power", Kanye West's lyric popped in his mind for no reason.

"Can I pour you a glass of juice?" Michael’s mom was at the door again, causing him to jump. He knocked into the table, nearly knocking over the crystal ball and the bone.

"Mom...what are you? No...thank you," he said, trying to hide his fear and the artifacts.

"Are you okay, honey?" his mom asked, her concern deepening.

"Uhmmm, yes...I am fine," Michael caught his breath. "I'm fine."

His mom stood there for a moment, clearly worried. "Alright, shout if you need anything," she said, closing the door gently behind her. Michael exhaled in relief. He needed to be more careful now.

Michael stared at the cranberry juice, realizing he had just used Billy to steal. The exhilaration and fear were intoxicating. He wondered how far he could push this power. This could be his way out of poverty. His mind was filled with crazy thoughts. He felt this was immoral but on the other hand he remembered that the witch doctor had said Billy's father sacrificed Michael's father. He deserved his fair share of their wealth. "It's the least they could do", he murmured while watching Billy talk with his sister.