The Reward
It dawned upon Yvonne that her choice wasn't the best one. No, she shouldn't have asked for "never dying" when that genie told her she had some wishes coming her way for helping his nephew out from that old flask that had kept him prisoner for ages.
No, she should have asked for something else, like e.g. "never aging and never getting poor". She even had three wishes, but somehow she couldn't remember the other two ones.
However, this never dying-promise simply begged another wish, but she had no idea of how she would get a fourth wish. It seemed impossible, also because the genie had gone, as he went to see another one of his troublesome nephews, this one having fun as a mass murderer in some far off country. (Yeah, genies are like that, they do exactly what they want themselves, also they are sloppy and don't always get the wishes right).
The sad thing for Yvonne was that by now, she saw someone in her mirrors who didn't resemble her - who simply couldn't be her – only, confusedly enough, she is dressed like her and when she stuck out her tongue at her, she did the same at her.
Horror! This creature in the mirror has spots all over, her hair is almost gone, well, at least that on her head. On her chin it grows like weeds and is very profuse. If that lady in the mirror doesn't start doing something to get rid of it she shall end up looking like a goat or some old gent from the 18th century. At that time all of them grew beards, which Yvonne knew for a fact as she was there and watched them, but alas, they didn't notice her sitting there, decrepit, destitute and desperate. Bad "Ds", bad situation, but better now as she came into money because she let the money come to her.
Yes, even though she at that time was 208 years old she still knew how to find ways of "finding" money.
All it took was some green stuff into the cups of some hapless people who hadn't met the genie: However, they knew the art of dying and die they did ....
Yvonne often fingered the flask that had held the nephew of the genie prisoner for such a long time. When she did, she felt its narrow shape confine as a solace. Just imagine the safety of sitting in that flask. Nothing could come out, that's true, but then neither could anything get in. Yes, one would be safe in such a small confine.
One day she even pulled the cork and took it to her nose to smell the perfume it had held long ago. When she did, the room started to vibrate, the light flickered and there he was, that "good", old genie!
"Oho," he yelled, smiling benevolently at her. "Looking fine, eh'?"
"You or me?" she asked, not at all amused.
"You, Madam, you," he bristled.
"I have mirrors and I wish I didn't," she said.
"So you don't like your looks as they have developed?"
"”Developed”!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course not, I’m a woman, not a scarecrow!!!!!"
He laughed and then said, in a teasing voice: "So what's your wish now? To regain your wonderful looks?"
"I had my wish," she said, "although I know there were more than one …."
"Yes, your second wish was "Give me a beautiful dress for the ball" - and I did - you were very satisfied. As to your third wish it was quite strange because what you said was: "Up yours!""
"What!" she exclaimed in horror at the by now somewhat bashful looking genie. "What did you just say?"
"Not my fault, you did, and as you can see, I sort of ignored it so it's still hanging there. Of course, I shall fulfill your wishes, I always do when someone helps one of my nephews, but ...."
"No, no, no," she yelled, utterly appalled, "Don't overexert yourself, I asked for too much. I withdraw that wish 100% right away!"
"Hmmm," he said, "It would be nice for me, but you see, that's not the way it works. The system is built on trust and sooner or later I have to fulfill the three wishes of the clients. I don't like this one bit more than yourself, but a promise is a promise, so .... "Up yours" it is ...."
Utterly horrified she considered her situation: Her first wish had been to never die, so she would never get release, and right now she was heading "Up yours" inside a deranged genie with several utterly evil and murderous nephews whose crimes were forcing him to travel all over the planet.
"No-no," she stuttered, "I free you of your obligation. I do it freely and with all
my heart."
"Mmmm," he said, but this statement or whatever it was, turned into a singing or humming sound as she felt herself being lifted by unseen powers and shot forward towards him, at the same time being shrivelled and shrunk into the same size as the cork she had been fingering. She knew she screamed when she plunged inside a very deep and dark place that didn't exactly smell of roses, but at the same time she felt sure that nobody heard her .…
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