The Golden Wish by Leila

Painting: Mistaken Identity by Ken Wong

Mary McCoy was living in deep, painful despair for several years after her father's passing.  But after her mother passed, about a year ago, she honestly had no one.  The only thing Mary had was a prodigious estate that her parents once owned and, of course, a butler.

It was a fresh spring day and you could hear birds chirping.  The warm sun was pouring into Mary's room giving her white bedding a bright yellowish color.  But the instant Mary awoke and saw the sun and heard the birds, she summoned the butler to close the blinds and shut out the happiness.  
"Go fix me breakfast, Wilkins," Mary demanded.
"Yes, Miss McCoy," and he turned and walked away.
Mary dressed and tiptoed, elegantly, down the stairs to eat breakfast.
"What's this," Mary asked.
"Those are beloved fish," Wilkins said.
"They're beautiful," Mary said.
"They are for you."
Mary said "thanks" and ran upstairs.
"But you must not take them outside of the house!" 
I'll show him, thought Mary.  
In fact, Mary was spiteful that she stuck the bowl on her head.  "Take that, Wilkins," said Mary in a low whisper.  And she walked downstairs, proud of her dreadful work.
"Oh!  Miss McCoy," exclaimed Wilkins.  
"Too bad," said Mary.

Years and years went by and Mary's head was far too big to take the fish bowl off.  Each and every day Wilkins would let mary do a back bend so he could pour water into the bowl.  Just enough that she could breathe and the fish could, too.  Being in the presence of the fish eased the ache of being an orphan.

Now that Mary had friends, she talked often to Wilkins.  She talked about her parents.  I wish I could just see them again, thought Mary. Then one day she asked Wilkins about how her parents died.  
"I'd better not tell you, Miss McCoy."
Mary shook it off and carried on with her days.  After years and years, Mary seemed to be getting smaller and her skin was turning a bright sun-kissed orange.  
"What's happening to me," shouted Mary.  Sir Wilkins said nothing.  
Weeks passed.  Years passed.
Mary was now in her early twenties.  She was no more than four feet tall.  By her twenty fifth birthday she was about two feet tall.  She'd been to all the town's doctors.  And yet there was no diagnosis.  It was hopeless.

By the time Mary McCoy was thirty, she had endured a horrible transformation.  She resembled nothing more than a worthless goldfish.  And for the first time, in a long time, Mary was desperate.  Suddenly, Mary found herself choking... on air.

Wilkins quickly turned the bowl over so that Mary was in the water.  When she opened her eyes she was surrounded by the goldfish.

Mary ended up with her parents after all.  Even though they weren't human any longer, she still got her golden wish... to see them again.

Wilkins ended up with the estate.  Everything was perfect.