[ WP ] Every current living human is granted a single wish with one condition : after using it they only have one more year to live .

The rules of the offer that appeared in everyone's minds were easy to understand, the party that was making the offer absolutely trustable. Recipients of the offer instantly *knew* three things. No, they were n't going crazy. Wish could really be anything. But the payment rule could not be broken. 
 
 Angela was in pain. Disease gnawing at her organs could not be stopped. Painkillers could not silence the sound of the illness slowly slurping her life down, only make it mute it down somewhat. `` I want for the pain to stop,'' she said. And it stopped. 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 Bob's world has ended two days ago. Trisha said she does n't want to speak with him anymore. In all of his long seventeen years of life never he felt such despair. Never again will he taste happiness again, for surely the love they had was such that has never been experienced before by a human being. `` I want her to forgive me.'' The buzzing of smartphone in his jeans startled him. 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 Charles was in a bad mood. His hobbies were drinking beer and browsing Reddit and he was getting sick of the latter. `` I wish all those fuckers would just die,'' he thought while slamming the laptop shut, energetically but slowing down at the end so as not to actually harm it. He settled down on sofa and turned on TV. Old man in a suit was spewing out phrases about not backing down and overcoming trials and similar bullshit. Soon bluish PSA screen from some ministry or the other took place of an old man but Charles was already sleeping. 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 Mother Cecilia ( Deeta before taking a vow ) was putting orphans to bed. They offered only a token resistance and that, she suspected, was a sign of huge conspiracy in play. She'll have to loudly walk away down the corridor, then remove her shoes and tiptoe back to the bedroom door in order to obtain valuable intel and possibly intervene if they were up to something dangerous. `` I wish there were no more wars anymore'' she thought while trying to remember names of the newest guests. Nothing particular happened at the moment but she felt satisfied anyways. 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 Ernie felt that life was unfair. Yes, he had other games. But having Dinosaur Monopoly would change everything! It had six toy dinosaurs as pieces and they all were different! Pterodactyl was even mounted on a special stand and you could raise him up as if he soars in the skies or lower down as if he swoops down on the helpless prey. He would play this game forever! `` If only Mom understood that,'' he mumbled with tears streaking down his cheeks. Young woman sighed as her wailing kid started attracting attention of other customers. `` We'll take it,'' she said to shop assistant. 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 Frank was in the wing next to Angela's. Doctors gave him up to one month, two months tops. `` What the heck, it's pure profit no matter what I do,'' he muttered. `` Gim me a cigar.'' Expensive Cuban cigar appeared in his hand where it remained until the nurse took it away next morning. Later he realised that he should have asked for a restoration of ability to walk or at least a lighter to go with cigar as well, but he never was all that great at long term planning. 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 Greg was pretty satisfied with his life. He would n't trade away most of it for any single wish. That is not to say he was n't distressed when his wife and both of the kids vanished into nowhere with a popping sound of a burst balloon. One world could not possibly fullfill the wishes of everyone. Every wish had the same absolute power as another and because of that a new universe was created for each of the wishers. Vanishings were happening all across the planet. Most affected groups were the oldest and the youngest - those who had nothing to lose and those who could n't realize how much they stand to lose. 
 
 After the enormous first wave there was smaller second wave. It consisted of those went chasing after the lost relatives and lovers. Greg considered that but decided against it. Surely there is another Greg in the worlds that his missing family has created, possibly better one. He married again ( It was heavily encouraged by the government because of huge decrease in youth population ) and lived a long and fullfilled life in the changed world that was bereft of it's greatest dreamers. Despite that he did not forget his first family. Many times he lamented their loss and many times he cursed the mysterious voice that made it possible. He outlived his second wife, his new kids were busy with their own families. As his health failed due to advanced age he began reminiscing about his first family even more often, his unused wish burning bright and tempting him with an illusion of seeing them again. He did n't feel it would be real enough. His real wife and children must have enjoyed their one year in the world where their wishes were fullfilled and died long time ago. One day he felt that his will to resist temptation fails him. In an act of defiance he muttered `` I sure would like to punch the guy who offered us such a cruel choice.'' 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 Hideo had a plan. He stared at an illustration of Misaki, cat-eared maid princess who had very high level of knowledge in magical engineering, wore a highly revealing outfit and was definitely one thousand and sixteen years old. `` I want you to become alive!'' he said. `` As you wish, Master,'' she said stepping out of a drawing. `` Can you build a time dilation chamber?'' `` Obviously. Whatever mew Master commands,'' she replied and set out to work. 
 
 **pop** 
 
 
 I was finishing up my story for /r/writingprompts. It was a bunch of vignettes ( *check spelling* ) about people who mostly unwisely used their wishes that they paid a heavy price for. I thought to make them all relate to each other but it felt like too much work. `` I sure'd like to think up a decent ending to this or failing that, at least a cringy punchline,'' I thought ( *think up/thought - change to other verb? * ). I heard a popping sound behind me and turned around to find old man in hospital clothes cracking his knuckles menacingly. 
 
 **ouch** 

