Sit a spell and tell a tale.

As usual, I was frying my brains out working on my paper tonight when all of a sudden I remember this story from Black Isle's Planescape: Torment RPG I played some time ago. It was a very short tale actually, told by one of your companions in the game during a conversation. But it was very absorbing and deeply mesmerizing, and I absolutely like it, so I thought I would share it here for those who haven't played it. I hesitated for a second and stared at my unfinished assignment on my laptop screen. Sensing my intention to procrastinate, it grumbled and told me, "Hold that thought." Silence for a few seconds, then it threw up its hands in annoyance, "Oh, like you care what I said!!" I nodded and said, "Be right back." So here it is, the short story from the PC RPG Planescape: Torment, in the exact words as it is told in the game. Enjoy and ponder.

"An elderly man was sitting alone on a dark path. He wasn't certain of which direction to go, and he'd forgotten both where he was going and who he was. He'd sat down for a moment to rest his weary legs, and suddenly looked up to see an elderly woman before him. She grinned toothlessly and with a cackle, spoke: 'Now your *third* wish. What will it be?'"

"'Third wish?' The man was baffled. 'How can it be a third wish if I haven't had a second and first wish?'"

"'You've had two wishes already,' the hag said. 'But your second wish was for me to return everything to the way it was before you had made your first wish. That's why you remember nothing; because everything is the way it was before you made any wishes.' She cackled at the poor berk. 'So it is that you have one wish left.'"

"'All right,' said the man. 'I don't believe this, but there's no harm in wishing. I wish to know who I am.'"

"'Funny,' said the old woman as she granted his wish and disappeared forever. 'That was your first wish.'"