I Wish For More Genies

• Ana Dobric, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

"Bye, mum, I'm heading out for my session with Ruben!" I call into our messy apartment before closing the door with a gloved hand. Mum makes me go to therapy sessions and I don't know why on earth she does.
"It's good for children your age to talk openly about their feelings," She says.

When I reach my destination, I sit with Ruben in our little room, his sly grin welcoming me in. Ruben is not like the other therapists there. He's... mysterious, just... strange.

Ruben claims he has super-human abilities, powers, like Superman, or Hulk.
"I wish I had super-powers," I sigh, dreamily.
"Do you wish for a lot of things?" Ruben's eyes are excitedly wide, an expression resembling the one when an idea strikes your mind.
"Huh? A lot? Well, I guess so, but- doesn't everybody?" Ruben ignores my question and continues.
"I know someone so powerful, that could grant your wishes with a click of his fingers!"
"I'm listening."
"A genie!" He exclaims softly, jazz hands all around.
So they're real.

Ruben hands me a map, with spirally, red traces covering dull, sketched drawings of caves and odd-looking trees.
"Just, I probably should remind you that the genie will only grant you three-"
"When do I start?" I interrupt, eagerly. I couldn't care less about rules- I can just wish them all away when I get my hands on a genie!

Ruben said I could start whenever, so of course, I chose now. I look at the map, with its long, red track twisting and turning all over the place. I look up to the corner of the map, where there is some writing in a fancy, cursive font. [This journey will take you 789 days and 23 hours]

What!? How on earth am I supposed to do that!? I'll peek at the treasure spot and maybe I can take a shortcut, I think. I scan the weary, yellowing map for a big, red X. It's under another odd-looking tree, but this one seems so familiar- It's... It's the tree in my backyard!

I race out and start digging. Hidden deep underground, I find a dirty, yellow scroll, with some unfamiliar words written on it.
[Wada woo kapa lama gene!]
I slowly recite the words, and soon I'm surrounded by purple, sand-like smoke.

"I, am the genie! I can grant you three wishes!" My jaw drops, not just at the sight of this great man of thick, purple smoke, but also at the thought of only having three wishes to use. Only three!? I gasp, then grin. I won't be fooled this easily!
"Alright then. I wish for more wishes!"
"You can have three wishes... on account that you don't wish for more wishes," The genie replies, annoyingly.

I'm still grinning like an idiot, because of course I didn't go on a journey to a genie unprepared. It's now the genie's turn to drop his jaw.
"I wish for more genies."