Two friends were on vacation. They had spent the first half of their trip sight-seeing in the city, so now they were ready for a quiet adventure. A cab took them to a park where the outskirts of the city was connected by trails to the vast forest and beyond. It took a bit of walking down the forested trail that was full of chirps and trills from avian and insects, but it wasn’t too long before they found a secluded swimming hole amongst a great many cliffs and caves.

After swimming for a couple hours, it was time to rest. There was one cave where more than half of the mouth was covered by vines. The friends chose this cave to catch their breath and retreat from the sun.

“It’s as if they’re a door trying to keep us out,” Lakshmi said pointing to the vines.

Amilla laughed. “What does this cave have to hide?”
Once relaxation turned to boredom, it seemed like a fun idea to explore the cave. The girls jokingly told tales of what treasures were trying to be kept secret by the vines. Maybe the fountain of youth would be found here, or perhaps gold was deep within the walls of the vast cave.

It hadn’t been much of a journey before they were confronted by a dark tunnel. By the looks of it, the girls agreed it would be best to turn around. That was until they saw something glint a few yards ahead of them.

They cautiously made their way to the mysterious radius of light.

“It looks like some kind of… geode?” Amilla guessed as she picked up the rock that was smaller than the palm of her hand. The soft purple glow was dimmer than a nightlight but captivating nonetheless.

“I wish we could see better!” said Lakshmi.

At that moment, the rock grew brighter. The change was great enough that not only could they now see the contours of the rock, but the purple light made it easier to see inside the dark tunnel.

“What just happened?!” exclaimed Amilla.

“I wish I knew,” Lakshmi said, staring at the glowing rock.

Just then a thought entered Lakshmi’s mind. Not a thought evoked by her own insight, but one that was seemingly conjured by some outside force and placed in her head.

“A wishing stone!” she shouted excitedly.

Without hesitating, Amilla wished for a glass of lemonade. To the girls’ astonishment, a clear glass full of yellow lemonade appeared at the entrance of the cave. They both rushed over and took a sip. Once they realized it was real and delicious, they passed the glass back and forth until it was empty.

Much debate incurred about what to wish for next.

“Let’s be smart about this,” said Lakshmi. “Stories always have greedy people get their comeuppance when they ask for money and beauty.”

With their heads together, they decided what a perfect, selfless wish would be.

“We wish for world peace,” they said simultaneously.

Content with their wish, they left the rock and journeyed back to the city. The walk was quiet – no birds chirping nor bugs buzzing like when they first entered the forest. Amilla and Lakshmi didn’t notice since they were chatting and laughing the whole time.

Why was it still so quiet once they arrived at the edge of the city?

No cars moved on the street.

No airplanes passed overhead.

No kids laughed at the park.

Nobody whistled for a cab.

It was just the two girls standing alone.

Finally – world peace.