The Never-Ending Sandwich

Billy loved his mom’s sandwiches. Every day for lunch, she packed the same thing - a mayonnaise and sardine sandwich. Day after day, Billy never grew tired of it. It was the highlight of his day, opening his lunchbox to find his beloved sandwich.

He didn’t mind sitting alone at lunchtime—none of the other kids or even the teachers could stand the smell. But Billy didn’t care. As long as he had his sandwich, he was happy.

One afternoon, on his walk home from school, Billy noticed a shiny gold bottle on the sidewalk. Curious, he picked it up, but it jumped right out of his hand, almost as if something inside was trying to escape. He picked it up again, this time cautiously unscrewing the lid.

With a puff of smoke, a tiny giant popped out.

“Well, I guess you found me,” the tiny giant said, crossing his arms. “You get one wish!”

Billy stared at the tiny figure. “Aren’t you supposed to be a genie?”

The tiny giant frowned, furrowing his bushy eyebrows. “They ran out of genies, so they stuffed me in there. Now hurry up—what’ll it be?”

Billy didn’t even need to think. He had been waiting for a moment like this his entire life. “I wish for a never-ending sandwich! Mayonnaise and sardines!”

The tiny giant let out a loud fart, releasing a puff of magic dust, and disappeared.

Suddenly, Billy’s backpack became impossibly heavy. He dropped it to the ground, unzipped it, and watched in awe as his lunchbox broke open. Inside, his mayonnaise and sardine sandwich began growing. It grew larger and larger, quickly outgrowing the box itself.

Billy grinned. “Amazing!”

He dragged the enormous sandwich home, marveling at its size as it grew bigger with each step. By the time he got to his front door, the sandwich was as big as his bed. He shoved it inside and called out for his parents to come and see.

But the sandwich didn’t stop. It grew and grew, filling the living room, smashing through the walls, and swallowing up the kitchen. Billy didn’t realize his parents had been crushed to death somewhere in the chaos.

Outside, the sandwich burst through the house, spreading into the yard. It toppled trees, knocked over phone poles, and flattened cars. By sunset, it had swallowed the entire neighborhood.

Billy stepped outside, trying to see just how far it had grown. The sandwich stretched far beyond the horizon, killing everything in its path. As it continued to expand, it engulfed cities, countries, and eventually the entire planet, leaving nothing in its wake.

As night fell, Billy sat on what was once his front porch. The air was still and quiet, save for the faint hum of mayonnaise oozing across the Earth.

He tore off a piece of the giant sandwich, took a bite, and smiled. “Mmm, just the way Mom always made it.”