Genieology 101

Chapter Two

Settling for a droopy cucumber, he sat down in front of me, inspecting the vegetable like he had never seen one before.  “I never told you my name in the first place,” he said, “but it’s Jinn.”

“So you’re Jinn the Genie?” I asked, trying to stifle my laughter.

“Yes,” he replied, glowering at me, “Trust me, that’s overused.”

His comical expression didn’t help me at all; I burst into a fit of giggles right away.

Sobering up a few minutes later, I asked, “So, Jinn the Genie, why don’t you just tell me your life story in more detail?”

Scowling at my use of his title, he replied, “There’s nothing much, really. As a human I grew up in Saudi Arabia. I became a genie at twenty and since then I’ve been living in this lamp, only to be woken up when someone rubs it. The last time that happened was five years ago.”

Ah, so that’s why he looks so tired, I thought to myself. Five years without human interaction also explains why he seems so… confused.

“And trust me, being immortal isn’t nearly as good as it’s made to be. Imagine out-living your family and friends, and then having to stay cooped up in one place until someone asks for you- and then you’re practically their slave until their wishes are all used up.”

“Damn, that seems a bit harsh for an innocent civilian,” I said, wondering why this had happened to him.

“Yeah, for the innocent it is,” he trailed off, not bothering to explain.

Feeling a bit nervous at his choice of tone, I said, “Okay, I should’ve asked you this a while ago, but how do I know you’re actually a genie? You could be a serial killer for all I know.”

“Fair enough.” Snapping his fingers, he looked at the cucumber in his hands. It instantly turned bright purple.

Whoa.

Unless he was a phony illusionist or something, this guy was definitely magical- In the literal sense.

Chuckling at my amazed expression, he said, “And I don’t even need to snap my fingers, I just did that as an extra touch.”

Just then, I noticed the fruit bowl floating behind him. This guy was definitely not a fake.

“I have a limit on my powers though. I can only do magic that does not majorly affect the balance of the universe. That includes playing with things like love and death.”

I nodded, still in shock about what I just learned.  Frowning at the abnormally coloured cucumber, he put it in his mouth, slowly chewing on it. 

“So how exactly do you become a genie?” I asked him, licking my fingers for the remnants the chips left behind.

He grimaced at my behaviour, but continued on with his explanation. “Long story, lots of old black magic involved basically. It’s died out anyways; no genies have been created in at least a century. So have you decided what you want to use the five wishes for?”

“I have an idea, but I don’t want to be that stupid girl in the books who uses the wishes for silly things. I’ll have to think it over.”

He smirked, putting his dimple on display. “Tell me about it- you don’t know how crazy people can get when given a few free wishes.”

Just then, I heard soft footfalls coming down the carpeted stairs.

“Lexi, is that you?” The footsteps were nearing the kitchen now. “Who are you talking to?”

“No one mom, I was just uh… talking to Chewbacca!” I gestured to Jinn, telling him to hide. My mother may not be the most responsible one out there, but she sure as hell did not want to see an unfamiliar grown man sitting alone with me in our kitchen.

Jinn apparently did not care, as he smiled, remaining in his seat. I could see my mother’s shadow around the corner now, and so I did the first thing that came to mind: I chucked my phone at his head.

He dodged my throw easily, and remained in his seat. My phone on the other hand skidded across the room, crashing into a potted plant. I hoped my baby was okay.

I was starting to get anxious now; my mind was whirring with possible explanations I could give my mom for this unexpected guest. It seemed too late, because by now my mom had entered the kitchen, and her eyes widened as her gaze fell on us.

“What the hell?!” my mom shouted, marching right over to the table. In the split second it took for her to reach us, I looked to Jinn. He looked right back at me, unnerved, and even had the guts to wink. That bastard.  

“I can explain…” I drifted off, not really sure how to.

“How can you explain this?” She asked holding up the empty bag of chips.

Wait what?

“I repeatedly told you not to touch this, I need it for tonight!” she said, fuming. “Now what am I going to bring to Sally’s house?”

Words could not explain how confused I was. Were a bag of chips really more important than her daughter’s safety?

Jinn was motioning to me, although it wasn’t clear what he was trying to say. He pointed to my mom, and then mouthed something to me. I guess he understood my puzzlement, because he got up, standing right in front of my mother.

It took me every ounce of my strength not to throw something at his head again. What the hell was he doing?   

That’s when I realized something was off. My mother wasn’t reacting to him; she was still preoccupied with the empty chip bag. After dancing quite inappropriately in front of her, he turned to me, mouthing, “See?”

Oh. My. God.

My mother couldn’t see Jinn.

Overcome with happiness at this revelation- it meant I wasn’t in serious trouble, after all- I said, “Mom, don’t worry about it. I’ll go get a bag right now.”

I picked up my mother’s car keys as I headed out the door, Jinn at my heels. I got into her gray sedan, unaccustomed to the different proportions of everything. As soon as my magical slave slammed the door shut, I said, “Why didn’t you tell me you’re invisible to her earlier?!”

“Well, seeing you squirm was just too good of a prospect to pass up. And anyways, I’m invisible to everyone else, not just your mom- unless of course you ask me not to.” He said simply, turning on the radio. I glared at him, but he refused to look in my direction, instead peering out the murky window. “It looks like humans haven’t really evolved much in the past few years, eh?”

“Why would you say that?”

“For one, you guys aren’t travelling by flying cars yet, are you?”

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Hey y’all! So, like I promised, I’m updating within the week :) Slightly disappointed with the lack of reads, but what’s a journey without a few potholes eh?

P.S. I’m not familiar with Saudi Arabian culture or anything, so if I make a mistake later on in the story, please correct me :) And this was four pages on word, so I hope it seems just as long on here. My next update will again be on either Friday or Saturday, so hang on until then!

Remember, if you liked it, vote/comment/tell a friend! Or maybe even all three! :D

Xoxo