"Nice try," said Sarah. "Girl, you ruined your own wish! You wished for a way to stop me. I'm beginning to learn something about this magic rock and I've already figured out it gives you what you ask for. You didn't ask to have a way to destroy me. You just wished for there to be one. There could be one... hidden in the back of a locker somewhere where you'll never get a chance to use it!"
"The magic stone," replied Jon, "isn't that bad. It doesn't twist wishes that much. Just because it didn't put a ray gun in my hand doesn't mean it didn't give me a way to stop you!"
But Jon was bluffing, somewhat. In truth, he had absolutely no idea what the stone had done. He really did hope that Sarah was wrong, because if Sarah was right, he really had wasted the wish.
Karyn opened her eyes. Over her was standing a naked girl she didn't know, but who looked very familiar.
"It's me, Mom," she said.
"K... Katheryn?"
"Jon touched the stone and made a wish. So I'm going to stop Sarah for him and for you."
"So you're really my daughter...? I can't believe... I gave birth to you... You're beautiful, even without makeup..."
"Yeah. It's magic. Don't worry, Mom. Just stay here and rest."
"But we've got to..." Karyn tried to get up, but the local anesthetic she had been finally given for the birth was still working, and she was exhausted anyway. She slipped and fell back against the pillow, and grimaced. "Maybe you should go without me after all. Jon was going to stay at home tonight, so I bet that's where Sarah is."
"Can I borrow your clothes, Mom?" she asked. "I need to wear something."
"All right," said Karyn, "My clothes are over there on the side of the bed," she explained. "They put me in this hospital gown."
Katheryn put on Karyn's clothes. They didn't fit perfectly, but they were close enough.
What had the wish done? Jon had no idea, but nothing seemed to be happening.
"So what shall I do with you?" said Sarah.
"Leave me alone?" replied Jon. She had to stall Sarah as long as possible. Because if something was going to happen from that wish, it could happen any time. If Sarah did something to Jon before the rescue, it could very well be too late.
"Why should I leave you alone?" asked Sarah.
"Because you just said you were going to leave me alone! You said it was because you had a problem with Karyn, not me."
"I also warned you that you have the right equipment for me to do to you what I did to Karyn. And you tried to take the stone from me."
Katheryn knew where Jon's house was, of course. The wish hadn't given her Karyn's memories, but it had given her Karyn's skills and knowledge, so she could talk, and wear clothes, and find her way around the neighborhood. Jon's house was some distance away from the hospital. She'd have to go back and ask her grandmother to... no, wait. A bus was coming along the road, and she knew the bus route went by Jon's house. What a stroke of luck!
"You can't do that," said Jon.
"Why can't I?"
"Because you wished I'd change back to a boy tomorrow morning. You can't reverse wishes, so whatever you do, I'll be a boy tomorrow morning."
"Idiot. I can wish that you'll change into a girl again immediately after you become a boy. Or I could wish you'd give birth before tomorrow morning, so you haven't changed back yet."
"Wait! Sarah, think about what you're doing. Why is it you suddenly feel the need to take out your revenge against me? Aren't there, um, other people you might want to use the stone on instead?"
"Maybe there are. But I'm beginning to think you're trying to stall me. It doesn't matter if I use the stone on you first!"
Katheryn paid for her ride and got on. When the bus passed by Jon's house, a half mile away, she got out and approached. In a side window she could see a hallway in Jon's house, and in there were Sarah and Jon. Jon was a girl, but she wouldn't make a very good rescuer if she couldn't recognize him in either sex, so the stone had given her that knowledge.
Katheryn walked up to the front door. It was open, and Jon's mother was there in the living room.
"Who are you?"
"Ssh," she said.
"You look like you'd be Karyn's cousin or sister or something. Your clothes look like hers too."
"Something like that," she replied. "Anyway, Jon's in trouble. Please don't announce me."
"Uhh, okay," said Jon's mother, as Katheryn tried to run upstairs as fast as possible without giving herself away. Sarah was visible, but facing the other way. It might be possible.
Jon saw someone come upstairs. Someone with red hair, dressed in Karyn's clothes, trying to tiptoe and still move fast. So there was help on the way, he thought.
But there was no more time to stall. Sarah held the stone and prepared to wish Jon pregnant, as Katheryn ran at Sarah and prepared to struggle with her....
