October 1985

Naria Dawn was five years old. She was crying because her cat had died. She made a special coffin for it with a shoebox and buried it in her garden. Suddenly, a man appeared in front of her. He had dark eyes, dark clothes and dark hair. Everything about him was dark, even his look. Naria wasn’t impressed or scared. She was standing there, tears falling down her cheeks.

“Why are you crying, Naria?” he asked.
“ How do you know my name? I don’t even know who you are!”
“Well, I know a lot of things about you”, he answered vaguely.

He didn’t answer my question. She would have said it aloud if she hadn’t been so sad about her cat’s death. Instead, she replied to the man’s first question.

“ I am crying because my cat has died”, she explained.

She was sobbing so much that she wasn’t sure that the man would understand what she said, but he did.

“ Do you want me to resurrect it?” he suggested.
“ What does resurrect mean?” she queried.
“ It means that I can bring him back to life.”
“ But… That's impossible!”

Is this man making fun of me? Can’t see that I am sad?

“ Well, look!” he replied.

As those words came out of his mouth, he raised his hand and whispered a few words, so low that Naria couldn’t even hear.

“ Think of your cat when he was alive, or of the good times you shared together”

So she did. She closed her eyes to focus better. Then, she felt something touching her knees. It was so soft… A bit like…

“ Puffy! You’re alive!

Puffy was the name of her cat.

“That is incredible! How did you do that?”

The man didn’t respond. “ My name is Manson. George Manson. Don’t forget you have two wishes left, since you used your first one to save your cat. We will meet again” Naria wondered what he meant by that but the man- George- disappeared before she had the chance to ask him. As she wondered about him, Puffy ran away. Naria entered in the house, where no one had seen anything about the scene. She told the story to her family and friends, but no one believed her. Since the cat had fled, she had no proof. She kept the story to herself and ended up by forgetting all about it. Until…

October 1990

Naria is now 10 years old. Five years had past since she saw George. She lived happily, forgetting all about him. She was in the car, with her parents, on their way to… to… where were they going?

“ Dad, where are we going?”
“…”
“Dad!”
“ Ask your mum, I’m driving”

He looked uncomfortable. Her mum gave him a strange look and responded:

“ Well, do you remember your grandfather, Alberto?
“Yes, I do”
“ He is sick. We are going to the hospital to visit him and get some information about his health.”

She was too young to understand that her grandfather was going to die. She just agreed and continued playing with her teddy bear. When they arrived at the hospital, a lady brought them to the room where her grandfather stayed. His eyes were closed. His face was very pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

" Is he dead?" Naria asked.

No one replied. She started to cry. Her grandfather was dead! Her parents told her to stop, that he was with God, but she couldn't help crying again and again. They left the room to leave her alone with her grandfather.

“ Grandfather, I wish that…” she started.

She didn’t finish her sentence because a man appeared in the room. He had dark short hair. Dark clothes. Dark eyes. Everything about him was dark. Naria had an impression of déjà-vu. Something about a cat. About her cat. Now, she remembered. He resurrected her cat. He was Georges Manson.

“ Be careful what you wish for,” he warned her.
“ But I want my grandfather to be alive,” she cried.
“ Ok, so…”

Like the last time, he said words she didn’t quite understand. Just when her grandfather opened his eyes, George disappeared. I didn’t even thank him!

“Naria, come closer, sweetie,”

Tears fell from her eyes once again. Her grandfather wasn’t dead! Her parents entered the room and saw Alberto talking to Naria. Everybody started to laugh and cry at the same time! He was alive! The doctors said it was a miracle, but Naria knew better: she knew who did it. This time, she kept the secret because no one would have believed her.

October 1995

Another five years had gone by. Naria was now fifteen. She was in the cemetery in front of her mother’s tomb. She died in a car accident a year before. Naria had brought flowers and was crying.

“ I’d like so much to die and join you” she whispered.

Suddenly, George appeared, behind her.

“ Can you resurrect my mum?” she asked once she saw him.
“ I can, but I won’t,”
“But, why?”
“You’ve already made your last wish. You will join your mother in heaven,”

Then, he took out a knife from his pocket.

“ No, please. I don’t want… I didn’t mean…”

But it was too late. She had already made her last wish.