SS Gift For suneyes14523

     The man circled the woman slowly. He scrutinized her appearance from head to toe; he seemed especially irritated with her seated on the ground. The hideous red and gold rug beneath her repulsed him, as did her arrogant smirk and the dusty lamp in his hands. Even worse it was so cliché. He hated it. But he loved having her in his grasp.
     The woman was dressed exotically in purple silks and a veil covering from her nose down. She was dark skinned and her hair was tied back into a ponytail. Had it not been for her smirking he would have found her attractive.
     "So, you've summoned me?"
     "You speak." He leapt back in astonishment. For over an hour he'd been moving around her and, finally, she spoke.
     "Why yes, I do." She swiftly stood and stood tall. She was surprisingly short, standing at only 5'3, but the man felt compelled to straighten his back. She was incredibly powerful. Compared to her he was like a child—she could end him with as much force needed to bat an eyelash.
     "What is your name?"
     "I do believe you should introduce yourself first."
     "I'm Maxwell. And you are a genie."
     She scoffed. "My name is Hirah and I am a Marid. You shall not call me a 'genie'."
     "But I summoned a genie," he muttered. "Did it fail?"
     Hirah slapped him. Maxwell felt his neck nearly snap from the sheer power of it and he hit the ground.
     "You call me the English word for Dijinn; I do not appreciate it. I am a Marid; the most powerful of all Dijinn. And you, mortal, hath summoned me. I ask you: Why?"
     Fear surged through Maxwell's body. Her voice alone caused him to shake. He scrambled to his feet, hastily saying, "I have summoned you, and therefore I am your master. I demand my three wishes!" He held the lamp out to her, gripping it tightly, and smirked. "As long as I have this you cannot disobey me."
     Her gaze went to her lamp. When she looked up she glared at him.
     "Pathetic. You believe I will obey you for you have my lamp? You may keep it. I am under no obligation to obey you."
     "Are you sure? I do believe you are incorrect."
     "Oh yes? Then show me how 'incorrect' I am."
     Maxwell smiled.
     "I wish for you to kneel to me."
     A chime rang out in Hirah's ears sending vibrations throughout her body. She knelt down in front of him, her right hand resting atop her right knee, and she scoffed. "A waste of a wish."
     "Maybe, but for now I command you to go back into your lamp again."
     "As you wish, Master."

     Louise rushed to the door, her blonde curls flying every which way, her red lips curled back to reveal a perfectly white smile. "Honey, you're home!" She threw her arms around Maxwell's neck. He laughed and hoisted her up by her waist. He spun her around a few times before setting her down. "How was your day?"
     "Simply marvelous, and yours?"
     "Oh, it was nothing special. I spoke with the doctor today, love."
     "You did? How costly is the verdict?"
     "Oh, you." She gingerly pushed him and they both laughed. "I have to go in tomorrow for more blood work, so I can't have lunch with you."
     "Ah, that's fine. I have a busy day tomorrow. Why don't you go into the dining room? I'll join you shortly."
     Louise giggled and told him to hurry before scurrying off. Maxwell sighed; he adjusted his tie and wiped his lips. "Blasted whore," he grumbled, scowling—then smirked. He held his briefcase against his chest and opened it. Maxwell had several papers in there as well as Hirah's lamp, to which he hissed, "Get out."
     A purple mist snaked its way out of the lamp before taking form. Hirah looked at Maxwell plainly, as if he had interrupted her. "What is it, Master?"
     "Did you hear that?"
     "Hear what?"
     "Louise, my wife!"
     "Ah yes, her. You're too old to be married to a young twenty-something. You are in your seventies, are you not?"
     Maxwell damn near slapped her.
     "She's whoring around with that man," he whispered, "I want you to end her relationship with him." When Hirah said nothing he added: "I wish for you to make my wife stop cheating."
     The chime rattled Hirah's brain once more. Her lips curled back, revealing a pleasant smile, one that mimicked Louise's perfectly. "Yes Master, as you wish."

     Wearing a black dress too fancy for a simple doctor's appointment, Louise strolled into the hospital's waiting room, smiling wide. She went right up to the receptionist and said, "I'm here for my appointment. My name's Louise Taylor Brown; I'm here to have some blood work done."
     The receptionist, a young Hispanic woman, looked up incredulously at Louise. "Mrs. Brown? Didn't you already come for your appointment?"
     "What?" Louise pursed her lips. "No, I have not. I only left the house ten minutes ago."
     "I'm sorry; I already have you marked off. I swear you came in here an hour ago, but it wasn't for a blood test."
     "I have no idea what you are talking about. I demand to have my appointment."
     "Yes, of course. I'll have a nurse take you back right away."
     "Good."
     A nurse soon called for Louise and guided her back into the testing room, but didn't go in. Louise scoffed at how the nurse didn't even look her in the eye or say a single word to her after calling her name. She'd speak to Robert about that; she might even file a complaint. The door shut behind her and locked. Naturally, Louise would've looked at the doorknob after hearing the click, but her eyes were glued to the young white male doctor lying on the ground before her. His clothes were bloody and a needle stuck out of his arm. Her mouth flew open so she could shriek yet no sound came out. A dark skinned woman in strange clothes stepped out from the side.
     "What Master wishes, Master shall receive."
     This time Louise did shriek, but too late. Hirah's hand covered her mouth, Hirah's nails digging into her flesh, and Louise slid down the wall. Her eyes remained open, unblinking, and she could see perfectly well until Hirah forced her eyes shut. Something stabbed her in the neck and Louise's life ended quickly. Before she died she wondered, Is this who Maxwell was talking to last night?

     Meanwhile, Maxwell finished with lunch. He was about to head back to his office when his cell phone rang. "Must be the Misses." Smiling, he answered cheerfully. "This is Maxwell's cell number. Who's calling? …The police?! Why are you calling my phone? Get over—Hell no am I going to the hospital. You better tell me what's going on? …You won't? Well fine! I'll be there in a few minutes!"
     He slammed his phone shut and threw money down on the table of the café he was at. Maxwell marched out of the store and across the street to reach his car, but halfway through a car turned the corner heading straight for him. Maxwell dove far enough out of the way he wasn't killed, but the car ran over his legs. He shrieked, agony shooting throughout his legs and the rest of his body, as he hit the ground and rolled several feet before coming to a stop. He cried out for help from the one person he knew could fix this; Hirah.
     "You stupid little genie, come here!" A shadow overcame him and he gasped; Hirah was in the air, standing on the hideous red rug she first appeared with. Its shadow blocked out the sun.
     "Looks like Master isn't doing so well," she mused. Maxwell glared at her; his vision was quickly leaving him. He had to make this fast, as he couldn't remain conscious for much longer.
     "I need a new body. I demand for a new body!"
     "I don't listen to demands; I grant wishes. There's a distinct difference—learn it."
     "You insufferable woman!"
     "You ought to hurry Master; I doubt you can stay conscious for much longer."
     "I wish for a new body—I don't care whose it is, as long as it's not old and dying like this one is!"
     "As Master wishes, it shall happen."
     Maxwell heard a loud chime, one which rattled his bones, and his eyes slowly closed. When they opened he was standing on a rope high in the air. People were cheering all around him, chanting some ridiculous name Maxwell couldn't make out. He looked down and lost his balance, cursing loudly as he plummeted towards the ground. There was no net. People shrieked and panicked; Maxwell hardly felt a thing.
     And that is why you never summon a genie, because Master gets what Master wishes—not what he wants.