Push the Stone to Its Limits

In awe at the extend of the stone’s power, John tossed the glowing rock in his hand up and down. While he was satisfied with his little experiment's result, there was still a burning question in the back of his mind. Clutching the stone firmly, he closed his eyes, pondering about his next move. So far, he messed around with his neighbor and some celebrities. Reality changed and adjusted to fit his will. And yet, that wasn’t enough for John. Karen, Nicki, and Emma had no personal ties with him. To test out the rock’s capabilities to its fullest, he needed to take a plunge and wish for something radical. That was when the mother of all ideas hit him.

Steeling his mind, John held up the stone and said aloud, “John Doe is not part of the Doe family. Despite that, they take care of him like a son.”

Instantly, an odd pressure surrounded John. His entire world shook, and it felt like his very being split in two. However, just as quickly as the sensation came, they vanished. Blinking a few times, he noticed… nothing. Everything felt the same, and he could still recall all of his most precious family memories.

Did the stone not work?

While it seemed that way, John had to investigate to make sure. Luckily, his sister was chilling upstairs. If something about his life had changed, then she would be the perfect test subject to figure things out.

Just in front of Milly’s room, John placed the stone in his back pocket. He wanted to believe that reality had altered, and as such, he couldn’t just barge in and yabber about family ties and whatnot. His actions needed to be natural and non-invasive if he wanted to verify his theory. Calm and collected, he knocked at the door before letting himself in. Upon entering, Milly gave him a simple, acknowledging glance before turning her attention back to her phone. There seemed nothing out of the ordinary except for one thing: Milly looked incredibly hot. Never before did that thought cross his mind. Now, though, her curves and soft features practically jumped into his view. His eyes could feast on her body all day long, and he would still not have enough. He couldn’t ogle her for too long, however, as Milly shot him her annoyance, ripping him straight out of his trance.

“What the hell do you want, John?” Milly’s feisty words reached John’s ears.

Still a bit dazed, John stammered to find his footing. “I, uh, just wanted to check on you, sis-”

“Sis?!” her expression suddenly shifted from annoyed to offended, “Since when did you ever call me sis, you little brat! Seriously, John, just because mom and dad decided to take you in, doesn’t mean that we’re somehow related now.”

John couldn’t believe what he just heard. Part of him felt intense hurt from Milly’s words, but the other part of him thought nothing was amiss. It was as if two conflicting realities and sets of memories clashed inside his head. Out of this whole mess, he, at least, finally had his answer; this was a reality where John Doe had no relationship with the Doe family. It also seemed like that for history to correct itself, his mind was also affected by the shifts, albeit only partially.

Retaining both sets of memories, John found himself at a difficult crossroad. With the power in his back pocket, he could reverse everything and move on as if nothing ever happened. On the other hand, however, in this world, Milly looked like a snack that he could take right here right now. There were no family ties involved, after all.