Agatha, the old cat lady, sat in her cozy armchair, her beloved cat Kitty curled up in her lap. As she watched the delicate snowflakes through her frosted window, a wistful sigh escaped her lips. "I wish I was young again, Kitty," she murmured. Suddenly, the serene night was shattered by a deep rumble that seemed to shake the very foundations of her cottage.
Startled, Agatha rose slowly, her joints protesting with each movement. She shuffled to the backdoor, opening it to reveal a brilliant shooting star streaking across the sky, landing with a flash two fields away. "Oh, Kitty, a shooting star! And so close!" she exclaimed. But Kitty, spooked by the noise, darted outside into the snowy night.
Agatha called out for Kitty as she followed the cat's paw prints through the snow. Her old bones ached with each step, but she pressed on, determined. At last, she found Kitty in the second field, purring and rubbing against a mysterious crystal ball half-buried in the snow.
Agatha groaned, her back protesting as she bent down to retrieve the crystal. "I wish I was young," she whispered again, and as her fingers closed around the ball, an incredible transformation took place. Agatha felt the years melt away, her body becoming youthful and vibrant. She laughed and twirled, her heart light with the joy of her newfound youth. "Kitty, I'm young again!" she cried, scooping up the cat and the crystal ball before skipping home.
The next morning, Agatha, now a young girl, walked through the village, eager to share her miraculous transformation. She entered the community hall where villagers were gathered to discuss the mysterious rumble. "It was a magic crystal ball from the sky! It made me young again!" she declared. But no one recognized her. The councillors dismissed her as a child, urging her to leave.
With Kitty in her arms, Agatha decided to leave the village and explore the world with her new youth. But as she reached the village boundary, she collided with an invisible barrier—an impenetrable crystal wall. "What is this?" she cried, realizing with horror that she was trapped. Through the crystal, she saw a child's room beyond, and it dawned on her that she was encased within a snow globe, a prisoner of her own wish for eternal youth.
The price of her wish had been steep—forever young, but forever confined. As Agatha gazed out at the world she could never again be a part of, she held Kitty close, understanding the bittersweet nature of her desire. The end.
