I’d picked it up because it was interesting, but there’s only so long you can carry around a random business card you found on the street. It feels like it’s made of thick parchment, is a light chestnut–I thought it was a leaf at first–and has shiny green letters that say “Wish Me”. I wished upon it, but it wasn’t a cake or drink from Alice’s trip in Wonderland. When I went to throw it out, I flicked it into the bin. Well, it didn’t go in. It curved–of course, because I have no coordination most of the time–and hit the floor, where it spun for longer than normal and ignited, burning itself away into nothing as I watched with a dumb expression on my face. Not a cake or a drink. Worse.

‘Well, you aren’t my usual,’ was the first thing she said to me.

She was gorgeous, but that kind of beauty that scares you, because it feels like it’s being used as a snare.

‘Uh …’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘I’m busy, kid. Spit it out.’

I reached up and grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling it a little to test reality before just holding onto it was comfort. ‘What?’

She blinked and then her eyes opened. Not in a “there’s been a mistake” kind of way, but a gleeful kind of way. Her mouth pulled up at the corners and a grin stretched more than my stomach would have liked it to.

‘You found the card, didn’t you?’

‘It was just on the ground …’ I couldn’t think of anything better to say and worried a scream would just tumble out of my mouth if I opened if without thinking.

She chuckled. ‘So. What do you want?’

I grabbed the back of my neck with my free hand. ‘What do you mean?’

‘TLDR, I’m a witch and that is my calling card for wishes.’ There was a smugness in her smile about the card in particular.

‘Like a genie?’

That smugness vanished into a scowl. ‘Were you not listening?’ She took a breath and calmed herself, muttering something about genies. Composed, she reached out to me, sliding an arm across my stiff shoulders as she asked into my ear, ‘What kind of contract do you want to make?’

My face twisted. ‘Is one of those things where I exchange my first born?’

‘What? Ew, no. I hate children.’ She shuddered away from me, folding her arms across her chest. ‘Bunch of weirdos get put in charge of contract law and now everything thinks I want their kids.’