Flash Friday: "The Pinned Genie"

It didn’t take long for Ayatasha to regret her first wish. The genie had brought all of her stuffed animals to life, including the large red-and-white valentine bear that was mauling the closet door in its attempts to get to her. Cowering with her was Spots, the overly fuzzy rabbit that she had kept in bed with her since time immemorial, her now not-so-imaginary friend. Spots was not any more helpful than the butterfly net she clutched in her hands as the closest thing to a weapon that she could find.

“I take it back! I unwish it!” she yelled out at the genie through the slash of light that was about to grow larger under the bear’s perseverance. The genie’s raucous laughter was enough to send her mind on a frantic search for a better answer. Words, she remembered. It mattered what exact words you used. “I wish that all of the dangerous toys were toys again!”

The snarling commotion outside the door ceased, but the laughter only grew louder. Aya’s first feeling was of relief. Then she turned to see that Spots, too, had fallen back to lifelessness. While she supposed that rabbits were dangerous to a blade of grass, she couldn’t appreciate the humor. Here she was with two wishes down and nothing but a ruined door to show for it. She wanted retribution, but her only weapon, still, was the butterfly net. And her last wish.

“I wish you were stripped of all your powers.” Aya darted out of the closet to the sound of his pained scream, a grin of satisfaction already on her face.