Chapter 4

I didn't sleep all night. The moment the mother-in-law and Arthur vanished, I climbed off the bed.

I looked up at the magic lamp and let out a laugh, cold and mocking.

Soon enough, Arthur would lose his wife and his child both.

While the two of them were gone, I did what the lamp told me and went to the county seat to collect scrap.

Ten full days of scavenging, and it all sold for nearly thirty dollars.

More than our whole family earned from a year of working the land.

I was walking home, pleased with myself, and the second I pushed the door open I heard Arthur roaring.

"It's your fault Bobby's dead. If Bobby hadn't died, Cordelia never would've divorced me."

"You traded away the luck of the Dickerson bloodline for three wishes, and two of them you spent on yourself. You're selfish, you never once thought about me!"

Compared to ten days ago, the mother-in-law was dripping in gold.

She gave the gold chain at her throat a little shake, thick as a wrist. "What's that got to do with me? Bobby was found, wasn't he? You were the one who didn't have the sense to keep from provoking his kidnappers, and that's why he ended up dead."

"And another thing, Cordelia didn't divorce you over Bobby. She divorced you because you're no good in bed!"

Arthur slammed a fist down on the edge of the bed. "That's not it! There's nothing wrong with me!"

The mother-in-law patted her fashionable new hairstyle. "So Cordelia doesn't want you. You've still got old Mr. Chavez's kin, haven't you?"

"Tom and I registered the marriage down at the courthouse. Long as you don't rile me up, you'll be living the good life from here on."

"And besides..."

She lifted her eyes to the lamp. "If nothing else works, offer up that little slut Fern to the magic lamp. Make your wish come true."

Offer her up.

The words went through me and I shuddered.

They'd killed my child, and that still wasn't enough. Now they wanted my life too.

Arthur said nothing, but a spark flickered through the darkness in his eyes.

He wanted to kill me.

I clenched my fists, turned to run, and Arthur shoved the door open and clamped a hand around my throat.

"Fern, I've got nowhere left to turn."

"I can't spend my whole life stuck here, breaking my back in the dirt. I want to go to the future and live better."

"Don't you worry. Help me just once more, and after you're gone I'll burn you plenty of spirit money."

I fought him, gasping, both hands clawing at the hand crushing my throat. "Arthur, you killed my unborn child for your own greed, and that wasn't enough. Now you want me dead too!"

Something wild came over him and his grip tightened. "You know? You actually know!"

"Then you really can't be allowed to live."

"Arthur Dickerson owes you. Next life I'll be your ox, your workhorse, I'll pay it all back. But in this life, I want to live well first!"

His face twisted as he hauled me up off my feet, fingers clamping down harder.

I glared at him through the pain, my chest crushed so tight it felt like it would burst.

Everything in front of me went blurry, my mind slipping away.

Just when I thought I was surely going to die, the lamp flared, the light blinding.

It shook violently, twice, and its voice thundered through the room. "The passage to the future is closed. Fern Smith's second wish is fulfilled. They will stay here forever, and never see the future world again."