The Journal 2 - A Short Story Collection

Three Wishes

The rock soared through the air like it had caught the air and rode it. Gravity reasserted itself, tugging the rock back down towards the earth. It hit the mud, splashing up dirty water around it. Sunken a few inches in, the rock found its new resting place amongst others recently thrown to this very location.

Jason snatched another rock next to him, arcing it the same as he did before, then chucked it into the air. It soared like the others, landing near the creek 50 feet in front of him.

He swiped at the large rock face he sat on, letting the rest of the little rocks scatter around. Hugging his knees, he cursed out to anyone listening, though no one was around to hear it. Not this far into the forest.

Nothing he tried relieved him of his anger. Sitting still surely made it worse. All the built up energy just waiting to be used, to assist in draining his frustration.

Jumping up from the rock, Jason strolled down to the creek, following its current. He kicked at the water, letting it violently splash, soaking his shoes and pant legs.

"AHHG!" shouted Jason as his foot smashed into something unmoving and he lost his footing. Jason fell into the creek, holding his foot that now throbbed in pain. 

He peered into the water, seeing nothing at first. It wasn't until the trees swayed slightly to the right that allowed light to glint off an object in the water. Jason reached in between rocks, picking up an antique oil lamp. Nothing like this was used anymore, so someone must have kept it around for years as a collection. How it got here was an even greater mystery.

Mud covered what appeared to be a symbol. Jason rubbed the mud away to get a better look. Heat radiated from within the lamp, burning into Jason's flesh.

"Shit!" Jason exclaimed as he dropped the now glowing lamp. He checked his hands, seeing that they were surprisingly okay. Looking back towards the lamp, Jason stood in awe at the bluish-black smoke venting out of it.

The smoke morphed in the air, taking on a more humanoid shape the more it came out. Soon, Jason could recognize a blue-skinned man, distorted in the smoke, wearing clothes Jason didn't recognize, but it surely wasn't fashionable in today's world.

"What's this?" Jason blurted out almost unconsciously, not realizing he'd get a response.

"A genie, of course," said the smoke back to him. It echoed all around Jason, as if it came from his head rather than the smoke itself.

"What?" Jason questioned, taking a step back.

The man in the smoke looked up at him, clearing hearing Jason. He seemed every bit annoyed at the exchange so far. "You don't know what I am? Pitiful! I'm a genie, you can ask me three wishes. What will they be?"

Jason observed the smoke, stepping closer. It stayed connected to the lamp, spewing out of it yet the humanoid shape didn't get any bigger than Jason. Swiping his hand through the smoke, it indeed went through, splitting the man in half before the smoke rebuilt him.

"If you'd please not do that!" the man in the smoke hollered, frightening Jason, who backed off a few steps. "Believe it or not, that isn't comfortable. And frankly, it's weird."

"You're a genie?" question Jason. Though he knew the answer, his mind couldn't wrap around what he was seeing was real. Jason gave himself a couple slaps to the face, rubbing his eyes, and reopening them. The man in the smoke was still there.

"Are you stupid?" the man retorted.

Jason blinked a few times, trying to come up with a coherent question.

"So I can have 3 wishes?" 

Everything about this conversation felt wrong, unrealistic. Yet here he was. How was he to question it?