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The Aspirs were settling in nicely to their new home. The baby had been potty trained and was playing quietly. Victor had been exploring throughout the neighborhood. His wife, Elizabeth , was trying to avoid a pregnancy, and dear old dad Louis, was working on his old car dreaming of days gone by and adventures not had.
Louis felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He looked around and saw nothing, but something was wrong. That feeling in the pit of his stomach told him to look the place over. So, he did. It wasn’t until he started up to the attic in his small apartment that the feeling intensified. Climbing the steps in trepidation, he found himself looking around warily. Something glittery caught his eye. He went over to check it out. An old lamp… it was a genie lamp!
He reached over to touch it. It was a very good reproduction. Smoke started billowing out and suddenly…
“I am the Genie of the Lamp. You have three wishes. Use them wisely, and know there are some things that even a genie cannot change,” the being spoke. Louis was in awe.
He could do things over, go places, maybe even find his true love… oh, he had loved Victor’s mother, but there had always been something missing with her. He could see that now with the interactions between Victor and his wife. It was as if he was searching for something from someone who would never be able to give it. “Can I go back and do things differently?” he asked.
The genie said no, and gave a list of things that he could not do. “The past is done. It cannot be relived. I can give you money, change you, affect those around you, and a few other minor things, but no bringing back from the dead, no making someone fall in love with you and absolutely no killing,” the genie intoned.
“Well, I know that I want to be young again…”, he started, “but not too young, maybe just turning adult.” “So shall it be…” the Genie intoned
and suddenly…
“You must go look in the mirror and believe that you will see the you that is meant to be, I only give the trappings of youth. Your belief fuels the final change,” Genie told him.
The Genie saw the excitement in his eyes and laughed to himself. This so easy… it will be far too late, and he will be in so deep there will be no end…
“Genie,” Louis asked, “this sure seems easy.” The Genie couched his reply in a way that the newly minted young man would not see the trap, “Louis, you will do things, see things and experience things that you have never done before. Some of it will be easy, the cost negligible, others will be hard and have a higher cost.” “Cost, what’s this talk about costs?” Louis demanded. Laughing the Genie replied glibly, “Down boy, everything in life has a cost, nothing is free. Surely at your age you’ve figured that out!” Louis thought about it and realized Genie was right. There would be consequences for any actions he did. He started feeling a little bit cautious. The Genie, seeing the caution, decided to throw in one freebie look into the future – no wishes. He told Louis that since it had been so long since he had gotten out that he would give him one free look into the future. It could be anything. Without thinking, Louis asked, “Who is my One?” Genies laughed to himself, this guy is definitely a guy that hasn’t had any for a while. He had expected him to ask about Victor’s future, but this would be so much more fun. “Go, look into the bathroom mirror make your changes permanent. Then another reflection in the mirror will be revealed to you,” Genie told him as he swiftly walked downstairs, “but,” more softly he added, “the better question would have been to show you what you have to do to get her.”
The Genie settled back into his lamp laughing ruefully and thinking what a bumpy ride Louis was about to go on. He contacted his boss, and filled him in on the details. The Boss began laughing… “If you continue such good work, your servitude will be over before you know it.”
Genie looked into the mirror after he put his workout clothes on. Would this curse ever be over? It must have been a thousand years and yet no one except he himself and the women the boss sent to him to relieve the tension had seen his true face and even then with the stupid beard.
Once he left his bottle, his artificial world - beach and all, people only saw the form he had been cursed with and sold into slavery. For the first time in centuries, he had hope.
Louis rushed downstairs to look in his bathroom mirror. Speaking the words, I believe, I believe, I believe, he looked into the mirror and was amazed by his transformation!
The picture began to blur and soon a feminine face looked back at him.
Interesting...
And the catch cry is. More Please!
At least someone is writing... I'm tired, cranky and more tired, so not much story tonight. I think I know where it *the story* is taking me, but won't know until, I've had time to write out what is churning in the brain.
i like the story line!