[ WP ] Humans can change reality at will on their birthday .

Suzie stared up at the night sky, and wished she could bring back the glass birds. Only yesterday they could still be seen, doing lazy loops around the polka dot clouds, singing their high-pitched lullabies to nearby floating dinner plates as big as mountains. Yesterday was just another day in the best place in the world: out in the Mother's Forest, three months, one week, and five days after her sixth birthday. But today the sky was empty save for a few boring white clouds, little pinpricks of stars, and just one, plain moon, half full. Today was her mother's birthday. The fun was over. 
 
 Suzie whined out a sigh. 
 
 `` What's wrong, Suzie-Bee?'' her mother smiled at her. `` I kept tonight pretty warm, I thought?'' 
 
 `` Yeah, I know.'' Suzie mumbled. `` I just do n't see why I ca n't have even one glass bird. Or a Giant Ticklish Elefox! Just one to play with until my next birthday? Pleeeeeeeease?'' She folded her hands and peered up at her mother, hoping against hope. 
 
 Her mother laughed. `` Oh, Suzie-Bee, I know you miss them. But you have to learn to live without them. You remember why?'' 
 
 Suzie looked sullenly into the forest. `` Yeah, I know.'I ca n't change too many things any more on my birthday or I wo n't get to go to the town.''' 
 
 `` That's right.'' 
 
 `` But momma?'' 
 
 `` Yes sweetie?'' 
 
 `` What if we just do n't go to the town? I like it here with you. Ca n't we just stay?'' 
 
 Her mother looked off, past the trees, past even the forest. `` Oh, sweetie. This is just a forest. You need to be around people. Kids your own age and normal people. Do n't you like it when Daddy visits?'' 
 
 Suzie smiled to herself. `` Yeah.'' 
 
 `` Well, when we leave soon, we can live with Daddy and your brother in a big house and do all kinds of things. Watch TV programs, and play at the park, and go to school. You will love it there, I promise.'' Her mom rubbed her hair around. `` You are going to have so much fun!'' 
 
 `` But momma, then why are we out here?'' Suzie was thinking to herself, but could n't figure out something. `` Why not have everybody come here? Or stay there with them?'' 
 
 Her mother got up, took two steps back, and sat on a tree that had the exact shape and comfort of a sofa. `` We went over this, Suzie-Bee. Remember when you were little?'' 
 
 `` Little?'' 
 
 `` Littler than now?'' 
 
 Suzie though for a minute. `` Like when I was three?'' 
 
 Her mother smiled. `` Yes. When you were three. You remember how I would tell you not to wish for the lake to turn to soda, but you did it anyways?'' 
 
 `` Yeaaahhh. I remember.'' 
 
 `` And then we had to wait a week to take a shower until your daddy brought bottles of water?'' 
 
 Suzie fidgeted. `` Yeah, I know.'' 
 
 `` We were lucky I had hidden those bottles of drinking water where you could n't see them the day before! Or we would have had no water! How would that have been?'' 
 
 `` Not great,'' Suzie squeaked out. 
 
 `` That's right, pumpkin. Not great.'' 
 
 `` Momma, I'm sorry about the lake, I'm glad you changed it back on your birthday.'' 
 
 `` Oh, sweetie, I know,'' she cooed. `` You were so little, when your birthday's came, there was just no stopping you! And so we had to come out here, until you were old enough to not just wish the universe away on your birthday!'' 
 
 `` Oh momma.'' Suzie felt embarrassed. 
 
 `` But you know what?'' 
 
 `` What?'' 
 
 `` I'm very proud that my little girl has such a fantastic imagination! The things you come up with, you really have a gift sweetie. Maybe you could even work for the police as a Birthday Auditor!'' 
 
 `` What's that? It sounds boring.'' 
 
 Her mother put her hands on her knees. `` Well, what did I tell you is the first rule of birthday wishes?'' 
 
 ``'It's Always Someone's Birthday.''' she intoned. 
 
 `` That's right.'It's Always Someone's Birthday.' And what does it mean?'' 
 
 `` Uhm, it means that you should n't wish for things on your birthday, because someone else with the same birthday will just unwish them.'' 
 
 `` Very good. Imagine if you put these great big beautiful birds of yours - `` and suddenly they were back in the sky, giant glass falcons, flashing star reflections all across the forest floor as the twirled about. 
 
 `` Heee-heee!'' Suzie could n't help clapping. 
 
 `` - then someone who shares your birthday just wishes them gone!'' *POP* The beasts exploded like balloons, raining light fragments down all around, as their shards became daffodils, gently drifting down. 
 
 `` Oh, momma, did you have to?'' Suzie looked at the ground. 
 
 `` But, sweetie, imagine if it was someone you do n't know, and they hurt your birds or make them try to hurt us?'' 
 
 Suzie looks up, grinning in anticipation, `` Then I'll wish they turn around. I'll defeat them!'' 
 
 Her mother frowned, `` But honey, you'll do that, then they'll turn our house into acid, then someone walking by turns us all into jellyfish. We just do n't know where it will stop, so you have to be careful on your birthday from now on.'' 
 
 Suzie flopped. `` So no more parties?'' 
 
 `` Of course parties! But let me and your dad and your brother throw them for you. It's much safer.'' 
 
 She put her head in her mother's lap. `` Okay momma, I'll be good.'' 
 
 `` I know you will, baby. We'll be ready to leave for home this week.'' 
 
 Suzie twisted her head up, `` But momma?'' 
 
 `` Yes?'' 
 
 `` What if someone on their birthday hurts other people? What if they do n't stop or there's no one who's birthday it is around them?'' 
 
 `` That's why we have Birthday Auditors. They have a team for every day of the year, all born on that day, prepared to unwish anything dangerous away.'' 
 
 Suzie squinted her eyes. `` And they fix everything?'' 
 
 Her mother looked off again, this time appearing to Suzie less determined, and more.. scared-seeming. `` Mostly everything, baby. Mostly everything.''
