Page 192 of The Wishing Game

It's. Not. Fair.

Maybe as a human, I'd gotten used to life being unfair from the moment I was born. Everyone knows there's no such thing as a utopia of fairness. Yet humans still hope for one—they still cling to the belief that one day, that could be achievable. But how could that be when gods themselves ascribe to discrimination and unfairness?

I may have only been here for a few short hours, but already, I am...disappointed. Which in itself is such an odd thing considering I've never been overly religious after my brush with cult fanaticism. But I guess I still had the hope that there was something better out there—that there were higher beings looking out for us.

Instead, what do I get?

More entitled assholes who make rules to only serve themselves.

I guess some things never change, whether you are human or deity. But Thea did say that gods created mortals in their image. That must be where we got our selfishness and delusions of grandeur.

I'm so lost in my thoughts that I barely register the voice calling out to us. Startled out of my reverie, I turn to see an older man in shabby clothes by the side of the road. His hair is long and unkempt, his beard reaching his chest. He rests his weight on a twig as he limps toward us.

"Don't mind him," Thea says with a wave of her hand.

I frown.

"Spare a coin, miss," he wheezes in a groggy, rough voice.

"Do you have a coin?" I whisper to Thea.

"I don't have any money." She shrugs. "But even if I had, I wouldn't give it to someone like him." She scrunches her nose.

"What do you mean?" My eyes flare in shock.

"Can you see the blue stains on his shirt?" She nods to the old man who's getting closer to us by the moment.

I nod.

"They're fromzantrax, a highly addictive substance that isextremelyillegal. He's just going to use the coins for that."

"What does it do?"

Thea purses her lips.

"It momentarily gives the user god-like abilities. It's very brief, and it does irreparable damage to the body. It's also very expensive, which means people will do whatever they can to get more money to buyzantrax."

I stare numbly at her. I guess not even godly realms are immune to drug problems.

"Let's go." Thea grabs my hand, urging me forward.

I let her lead me away from the man, still processing the information.

"Spare a coin, miss," he continues, his voice getting closer.

Fingers coil around my arm in a tight grip as I'm pulled backward.

"Spare a coin." He snarls, his face scrunched up in distaste.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any." I give him a polite smile as I try to take his hand off my arm.

"I. Don't. Believe. You," he enunciates each word as he lodges his fingers deeper into my skin.

I release a small whimper of pain just as Thea intervenes, placing herself between us as she tries to get him off me.

"We don't have any money. Go beg somewhere else," she tells him harshly.

"Give. Me. Coins," he continues, almost like a robot.

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