I kept my eyes shut, as Tom cracked his whip again, hitting me on the other shoulder. I cried out in pain, wishing that we were somewhere far away from where we were. Somewhere where the sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. Somewhere where I was not getting hurt.

Tom cracked his whip again, but this time I didn't feel any pain. I looked up and the sun blinded me. I looked down at the floor and gasped. Where the floor should have been, was sand. I looked up, careful of the Sun's rays, and looked around.

I heard the sound of waves and saw water on the shore. I looked behind me and saw trees. I was on an island.

I cheered and grinned. Cliff barked happily.

Then, I realized that I was still bound and so was Cliff. I looked down at the ropes and wished that there was some way that I could cut them, or at least loosen them up a little.

As if my wish came true, (which it did), a long golden staff appeared next to me. I smiled at it and wiggled closer to it, until I was in reach to grab it.

I got the staff and used the pointy end to saw off the rope. Then I did the same to the ropes that were around Cliff's paws.

Cliff barked happily and jumped up, licking me on the face. I laughed.

"Good boy." I told him. "Now, where are we?"

I looked around and noticed that the island we were on was inside a lake. I saw another shore on the other side.

A boat with a fisherman on it floated by, staring at me. I just smiled and waved at it. When it was gone, I realized that I probably should have asked that fisherman to get us across the water.

As if on que, I looked to my right and saw a small wooden boat that would definitely hold Cliff and myself.

Wait, was that there the whole time? That I did not know, but we got inside it anyway.

As I was rowing the boat, ('Row, Row, Row your boat, gently down the stream. Merely, Merely, Merely, Merely, life is like a dream!' ... Ahem... Sorry about that... Anyway!), I thought to myself.

'How does all this stuff happen to me after I wish it?' I thought.

Maybe it had to do with not dying after that cliff accident. I was dead for four years. And then I just magically woke up?

This was crazy. This was weird. This was amazing! I could be the only man on Earth who could never die. I was... A wizard!

When I rowed the boat to shore, I thought I should try my theory out. I already had the Golden Staff, now I just had to look the part.

I looked down at my tattered clothes and dirt filled shoes. Wizards did not have dirty old clothes. I thought about what Wizards did wear. They wore colorful robes and clean clothes. Maybe pointy shoes?

I wished I had a blue robe and pointy black shoes and then, boom, I was wearing them.

This was amazing! I had magical powers! I couldn't die!

Questions kept popping into my head.

'Could I die? What if I did? Doesn't everything have an end? How many powers did I have? Could I fly? Could I shoot lightning bolts out of my hands?'

All these questions and more went through my mind, but one thing I knew for certain. Cliff and I could not stay where we were. Maybe we could find a cave somewhere to stay for the night.

So, without hesitation, and with Cliff at my heels, I started my trek through the woods.