A short story by: Lee Sonogan
His voice had never sounded so cold. The night was windy and full of stars. Drinking all night, his belly was full of liquor. The liquor and hoodie over his head keeps him warm enough. Being ditched by his date, he sits alone on a pebble beach. Feeling blue, he grabs a flask from within his jacket. The flask has a sci-fi symbol inscribed on it. More alcohol tends to his emotion state of mind. “There are good and bad times, but our mood changes more often than our fortune. I will take my chances for the next one I guess,” thought the man now holding a pebble to throw.
Bouncing off the ocean it skips off the ocean six to seven times. This man obviously has had experience in doing this before. The mans luck started to change. A wave of an ocean sweeps at his feet and lower body. He is drenched by the salt water. The water recedes into the ocean. Something new is left on his lap. Checking his pocket first for his phone’s location, it’s still in his shirt pocket. Looking down, scared to what it might be, he sees an unknown bottle on his lap. The vial has a long and strong neck and jewels were encrusted into it. Pattterns of symbols are sketched out on its base. It also had a handle.
The man examines the bottle. “What a rare find to get washed up on the beach,” he thought. Shaking it, it was hard to determine the volume of what was inside it. The man gets out his phone and uses a search engine to research what this bottle could be. Just on description, he could not find anything specific. He need more information. “Maybe if i give it a smell, I can see what was in it before and then search up history of people who used these bottles for certain uses? Hmmmm,” thought the man becoming more curious. Using both hands, he readys himself to open the lid of the bottle.
Not only did the lid pop off the bottle with a sound, white smoke pours out of the bottle. The man drops the bottle in front of him in shock. Smoke gathers and forms above the man in the air. The man sits on the pebbles and does not know what to do. Smoke begins to change tone of colours. Details form as the smoke goes solid. An arm sprouts out first from the smoke. A face pushes out of the humanoid form in the smoke. Then everything else appears on its body except its legs. It float in the sky like a ghost and had shades of white and grey all over its body.
It looks happy to be out of its prison. “Thank you human, you have no idea what time is trapped in that bottle… If you can not tell by now, I am a genie,” said the Genie with confidence. The man stands up and takes a few steps back. “What do they call you? Speak! I have not talked to anyone in a very long time,” demanded the Genie. “Jacob, is what they call me. Are you worried being seen in front of people in the area here?” asked Jacob trying to make small talk with an entity. “Since you freed me, you are the only one who can see me, at the moment. I will leave my self open to others once I deal with you. I suppose you would like some kind of reward? suggested the genie.
“If you’re a genie, do you have the power to do wishes?” Asked Jacob, excited at the thought of real life wishes. “Very well… State your first wish and I will grant you two more. With your first wish, there’s no turning back,” The genie replied. “Gimme a second to think about my choices?” asked Jacob, stalling for time. “Make it quick then, I am going to check the ocean to give you some time. When I get back, its time to set some of your choices in stone,” replied the genie. Jacob gives the genie a convincing nod and it floats downwards into the ocean leaving Jacob alone. “This is a bit messed up. I wanted fortune. I can barely handle this,” thought Jacob, thinking about what he just witnessed.
The genie arises from the ocean. “Times up,” said the genie looking in Jacobs direction. “Screw it, this white magic man seems legit enough and I have my wishes. Lets see how this turns out,” thought Jacob. “I am ready. Show me what you got,” said Jacob, ready to start. “Name your first wish and we shall begin,” said the genie. “My first will be… If it is in your power, three more wishes…” said Jacob trying out a loophole. The genie stares at him in annoyance. “Are you sure that this is what you want?” asked the genie. “What does he mean by that?” thought Jacob determining to go through with it all.
“Yes, I accept your services with the provided wishes,” said Jacob committing to it and avoiding all other concerns for it. The genie waves its hand and it creates a bright flash of light. “It is done, you have five wishes remaining. Name them all now in any order,” said the genie. “All off them in a row?” asked Jacob. “Yes all of them in a row. I am doing you a favor here, so keep it quick right?” replied the genie. Jacob nods in agreement.
“If you have issues with my choices, I am open to the best you can do. First, music. I wish for the ability and knowledge to play any musical instrument. Then I wish for indestructible teeth which would be passed on to my descendants. My fourth wish is that I wish for is the ability to refill anything. out of gas? Refill! Out of money? Refill bank account! Out of water? Refill canteen! Out of pen ink? Refill! For the next wish, I will wish for the ability to modify the learning/understanding/recall capabilities, including memories, of anyone….” wished Jacob.
Thinking, Jacob holds his chin like his is thinking in a deep trance. “You have on more wish request to ask from me. One more and I can fulfill all my promises,” said the genie. “This is my final wish… I wish, that upon the moment of my death, to have my consciousness overwritten on the consciousness of my younger self, the instant before I opened your lamp,” wished Jacob. “Delightful!” replied the genie. The genie starts to laugh. Feeling awkward, Jacob does a fake laugh. To not offend the potential god in front of him. “What is so funny? Do my wishes amuse you,” asked Jacob, ready for his divine powers.
The genie continues to laugh uncontrollably. Evil cracks in its voice. Jacob picks up on something that is wrong. “What did you…? What did you do!” demanded Jacob. The pupils in the eyes of the genie turn from gray to glowing black. It stares into Jacobs soul. Jacob takes steps back in fear. “What are you?,” yelled Jacob. “WISH ONE REVERSE!,” yelled the genie. An alert sound goes of on Jacobs phone. He looks at the screen to see an email alert saying someone has hacked his bank account. Looking back at the ocean it appears to be repelled by his presence. Including his flash from his pocket. It flys out to the ground and moves away from him on the pebble beach. “WISH TWO REVERSE!,” yelled the genie.
Out of now where, an acoustic guitar spawns in the genies hands. He strums it once with one finger. Jacob feels the strum. The genie starts of with a basic rhythm. Jacob stands back as the sound begins to dig deep into his soul. The guitars sound is very loud and painful to Jacob. Normally Jacob is a big fan of music. This genre of music was his jam. Tonight the genies skill of technical playing did not movie him positively. It shock his foundations of sound and vibration. He trys to move away from the sound. The genie teleports to him and play the song as he attempts to flee his mental torture. Finally, Jacob stops and says “Enough! I beg of you! Stop taking it all from me!”.
“WISH THREE REVERSE!,” yelled the genie. Taste of rot and decay fill Jacobs teeth. Jolts of pain go through Jacobs gums. On his knees, he weeps in distress. He has only one option left for help. “HELP!!!” Screamed Jacob as his once healthy teeth melt. The liquid of the teeth melts down his face. “AGHHHH!!!!” screamed Jacob even louder than before. “NEVER ASK FOR MORE WISHES FROM A BEING SUCH AS MY SELF EVER AGAIN!!!” yelled the genie. Using a telekinesis it launches the bottle in was a prisoner in into the ocean. Then to Jacobs remaining vision from intense misery, the genie laughs once again, slowly becoming transparent. Then the monster was gone.
Dazed and confused, Jacob was broken. Putting all faith in an entity deep down changed him. Incarnation and gifts from beyond was gonna give him purpose. Afflictions, ache and discomfort shatter his personal ideals and values. Meaningless overtakes him. His vain existence becomes senseless. The mind of Jacob went to a different place that was empty. It was too late for someone to tell him otherwise.
“Hey you down there!” yelled a voice from a far. The sound of the ocean moving in the middle of the night. Getting closer the voice yells “Please move something so I know your alive,”. There was no movement in response. “Yo, said the voice pushing Jacob onto his back. “Oh no… you don’t look good pal,” said the voice. Tone of the voice mumbles to it self. “What the hell was that? How can I be thinking of such a thing?,” said the voice. The voice takes a few deep breaths. “Buddy, I have this feeling your name is Jacob. Anyway, I am gonna call the emergency services for ya. Your gonna be ok in a hospital,” said the voice in a comforting tone. Jacobs ringtone goes off while the voice goes onto say “This guy sure has a lot of messages,”.
The end