Genie in a Wine Bottle

7

I sat up on the couch staring at Michael, who was sitting on the ground with papers and files surrounding him.

He looked ten years younger, with those thick frames on, a hood covering his face as he stared at something.

"Are you done yet." I asked him.

"Nah I'm still reading this case."

"No. Not the case. Thinking of your wishes." I told him. I didn't really care that much about his case, I granted the wish to assist him but if he wasn't going to give me the things I need then I couldn't help him.

"You really want me to think of these wishes fast."

I nodded, "Yeah because I would like to go back to the warmth and safety of my wine bottle. Actually, can you do me a favour and hide me somewhere that people won't find me for another hundred years."

Michael did that beautiful laugh again and leaned back against the base of the couch where my leg was resting "You really don't like your job do you?"

I leaned back lying against the couch letting the soft fabric swallow me up, "You get bored after a bit. All I see are selfish humans asking for riches, there is no limit for greed. Besides granted wishes is a draining thing."

"Does it kill you?"

"What granting wishes?" I asked. Michael nodded.

"Nah, just slowly eats of your special abilities but also makes you powerful with time. Like I guess you progress from junior genie to senior genie eventually. You just need to be able to control all that energy and channel it. Depends what the human ask for as well."

"What was the hardest wish you had to grant." Michael asked.

"Oh this is going years ago," I sat up, "I can barely remember this one. It was a young man with a daughter and she had cancer. That was a hard one to deal with."

"I thought you couldn't bring back people from the dead so to cure her of cancer was breaching that rule isn't it." Michael pointed out.

I nodded, "In a way yes. He didn't ask me to kill the cancer or cure him from that illness. I can cure you from the common cold but not from deadly life diseases. He was smart you see, he knew the limitations of my powers, he could risk trying to find another genie who was more powerful to grant him those wishes. Instead he asked me to give him enough knowledge, money and resources to be able to treat that cancer for his daughter."

He indeed was a smart man, not to mention it only took him three days to think of the three wishes unlike Michael over here.

"That way he was able to access everything he needed to get his daughter the best medical care and basically afford it and live from that."

"Smart man." Michael nodded, "So uh, you know for my second wish. What are some of the best ones you've granted."

I shook my head, "I can't tell you that,"

"Why not?" Michael asked slightly annoyed as he pulled off his glasses and placed it on the pile.

"You need to think of a wish yourself, I can suggest stuff but I can't just pick and choose for you. That makes it my wish, not your wish to be granted."

Michael groaned tugging off his jumper, his shirt half rising with it exposing his toned torso. He pulled it down with the other hand and ran a hand through his hair deep in thought.

"I guess you don't need to wish for a better body." I said, "One less concern for you."

Michael raised his eyebrows, "Are you checking me out genie?"