A storm brewed outside as Mila sat on the couch watching the television, her mom braiding her hair behind her. It was the night before her birthday, and her dad was preparing the cake, telling her she could only see it under dim light, or the surprise would be ruined. They had a tradition where they would celebrate her birthday by eating cake at midnight.
The TV suddenly blinked to a breaking news warning.
“Scientists have noticed unnatural thorns have been spreading throughout this area. Even experts don’t recognize this plant and think it might not be a plant at all. Stay safe from this anomaly,” it blared.
Thunder crashed.
“Is this anything to worry about?” Mila whispered, curling up into a ball.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” her mom replied, squeezing her shoulder.
Suddenly, a pair of hands covered her eyes.
“Ready, birthday girl?” her dad asked from behind her.
She nodded her head as he brought her over to the kitchen. Mila could see the lighting change as he sat her down in her chair.
Mila’s parents started singing “Happy Birthday” when she opened her eyes. Her cake was the prettiest thing she had ever seen. In the dim lighting of the 12 candles on the cake, it looked like a fairy grove. Soft green icing laced the cake, with delicate flowers drawn on it. Small glow-in-the-dark sprinkles resembled fairies.
“Make a wish!” her mom said.
Mila thought for a second before making her wish.
“I wish that there were some way I could find out if the thorns are actually dangerous,” she thought.
That night, when Mila went to bed, her head throbbed. She tossed and turned all night before finding herself on the ground the next morning. Mila wobbled over to the door and nearly fell to her death when she walked out.
“Careful, kid!” a man said. “The platform hasn’t come yet!”
Mila looked up, and her jaw dropped. In front of her was an entire futuristic city. All the buildings were tall skyscrapers, and small ships ruled to sky. She shut the door with no hesitation. After calming down, she opened the door again, taking everything in. She knew she was there for a reason. Then everything clicked. She got sent to the future because of her birthday wish. She knew she needed to find whatever the source was and find out if the spreading had stopped.
During her journey, she met a strange merchant who was selling pins.
“Crystal pins! Crystal pins! Get your crystal pins!” he said. “Hello, would you like a crystal pin?”
Mila stepped back. “Sorry, I have no money.”
“Hm, well, is it a special occasion for you today? I could give you one for free, on me.”
“Well, it is my birthday today,” Mila said. “But you really don’t need to.”
“It’s fine,” he said, handing her a glistening pin.
After pinning it on her shirt and saying thanks to the man many times, Mila continued her journey. When she finally reached the forest, she saw the thorns wrapped around some sort of building. Whatever building it was stopped the growth of the thorns. They were shriveled up, and a few were lying on the ground. Mila decided that her job there was done and prepared to leave, but she started reaching for the thorns without realizing what was happening. The birthday pin glowed, as if it were warning Mira not to touch the thorns, but the warning was ignored. Her finger pricked the thorn, drawing the smallest amount of blood. The pin glowed a stronger hue, blacking her out.
Mila woke up to find herself back in her room. She doubted that she was in her actual room, but when she opened the door, it led her into her house. Mila wondered if everything was just a dream, but the pin was still stuck on her shirt and the scratch was still fresh on her pinkie.
