I climb off the bed and spin in a circle. “I need to explore beyond this house before I cause chaos in my boredom.”
Genie rolls his eyes. “Come on. Let’s see what trouble we can find.”
I march out of the bedroom and through the living area before yanking open the door. The ocean is darker than what it was when I arrived, but as I step outside, the tiny luminescent creatures ignite under my feet. I stare at the path they form in awe.
Genie floats at my side as I strut forward. “Do you know where you are going?” he asks.
“Nope.”
Sometimes, a journey isn’t about the destination, it’s about discovery. I rarely have an end in mind, as my chaotic life doesn’t do well with rigid instructions. Best to have a general idea and nudge toward it. That way, it can’t run away from you.
“There’s something following us,” Genie says.
I spin on my heel to glare at whatever creepy creature has attached itself to us. The shadow comes into view, and I relax. “It’s Linda,” I explain.
Linda somehow adjusts her face into one of disappointment. She eyeballs the genie with curiosity before scowling at me. “Where are you going?” she asks.
“I got bored, so I am exploring.”
“The waters are dangerous grounds in the dead of night.”
I park my hands on my hips. “I am not scared of the night.”
“Return to your house.”
“Nope.” I spin and take a step forward. I want to stride like a badass, but the water restricts my movement.
She sighs as she swims up next to me. “Who is he?” she asks.
“Genie. He’s my, umm, genie.”
“I am an ancient being who can grant my master three wondrous wishes.”
That’s a better introduction.
“Why haven’t you wished yourself free?” Linda asks. “I realize you’d prefer not to be here.”
“He’s failing to tell you that all wishes come with consequences.”
“Like?”
“Let’s say I want to be free. That could, and most likely would, result in me giving a knight the sword.”
“And therefore you die, and it releases you. What a wicked, wicked creature,” she correctly concludes.
“I resent the implication that I am wicked. The consequences of a wish aren’t something I have control over. If I could, I would grant Daphne all her heart’s desires. But all magic comes at a cost. I am not the only fairy-tale creature that suffers such an undercurrent of maliciousness.”
It was reassuring he didn’t enjoy the horror that could result from his magic, but it didn’t diminish the fact it still happened.
“What is there to see and do around here?” I ask. Surely the entire ocean isn’t asleep.
“Ride me,” Linda instructs.
“Excuse me? Miss Daphne has four knights who wouldn’t be happy with this turn of events,” the genie states.
I side-eye him as I stop and climb on. “She means like a horse,” I tell him.
Genie blinks at the image of me on a seahorse. “Oh, I see. Yes, you were walking rather slowly.”
