A Genie with no wishes

A GENIE WITH NO WISHES

Hakan Mahmood had run into the forest, the night air was filled with
the light of rapid gunfire and shells bludgeoning down on his little
village, his father had urged him to leave before it was too
late.

"Run into the forest and hide Hakan if we can your brothers and I will
join you later." His Father Tariq then gripped his son firmly by the
shoulders, and for a moment there appeared to be tears in the great
mans eyes" If we do not come for you then you must wait, you must wait
for two days then and only then can you return." The look even to a
13yr boy said that this was the last time he would see his father
alive.

"I can fight father," he protested.

"You can fight little one but your day to fight must wait, first you
must live then you must find your mother and sisters and get away from
this dreadful place, promise me Hakan promise you will do this." Hakan
was a mischievous little boy who had disobeyed his parents on numerous
occasions but the look of deep sadness in his fathers eyes told him
this was not the time.

"I will Father I promise." With that Tariq kneeled hugged his son
kissed him on the forehead turned him towards the Forest.

"Now run little one, run and hide God speed and God protect you."

Tariq was the father of five sons and three daughters, Grandfather of
eight, husband of Alayna, tomorrow he knew that Hakan would be the new
head of the family.

Hakan listened intently as the gunfire drew nearer his village, through
the gaps in the trees flashing light and explosion came from one
direction then the other, then angry voices, sneering voices, scared
voices, voices of pain and cruelty shouting for what appeared to be
forever, deep into the forest he moved stealthily but not so far that
he could not hear the noise, once or twice he heard movement of men
running in the forest running away from the battle men of no honour
running away, Hakan felt like screaming, they were cowards but instead
he sank down into the bushes and waited. The noise continued but Hakan
was haunted by his fathers description of their home as "This dreadful
place" quite why these men were trying to destroy the village was
beyond Hakan but since the old President had died three months ago and
his wayward son had taken over, Tariq had shared his sadness and
unhappiness with anyone who had care to listen.

"This Scavenging dog is no son of our beloved ruler, he is not fit to
govern I will not accept him," despite scolding from his wife these
words and worse echoed around the village for friend and foe to hear,
words of dissent travel fast in this part of the world and soon Tariq
was invited to come and explain his grievance in the capital with
officials who would try to allay any misunderstandings.

"Hah! My first and last visit to the Capital no doubt," growled Tariq
"Let them come to me," which they did in great numbers and with
purpose.

Two days passed and little Hakan emerged from the undergrowth tired and
hungry, he had lay in fear for two days with no sleep, no noise had
come from the edge of the forest for over a day so now his urge to
return was great. He would return by the seashore staying close to the
forest edging slowly always alert to what was ahead and behind.

Smoke rose in the distance, a great battle had taken place and Hakans
village had come off worst, this was bad, his eagerness to see if his
family had survived took over and he sped across the sand crying
gasping for air as oily smog filled his little lungs, the desire to cry
out was almost irresistible, sprinting hard he stumbled cursing as he
plunged into the white sand in a heap.

The enforced breather was welcome, the wind knocked out of him brought
him back to reality, his father had trained him to hunt to be patient
and disciplined, he was behaving like prey, as he regained his
composure Hakan spotted the reason behind his fall, a bottle of the
like he'd never seen lay on the sand, Hakan rolled over to where it lay
and examined it, hour glass in shape and colour never before seen Hakan
tried to see the contents, but within the bottle a mist moved almost
live teasing the young boy testing his curiosity, for a split second
something inside moved only to be obscured by the mist again, strangely
captivating the young boy momentarily forgot his mission, all bottles
had tops cork or plastic caps this bottle was crafted to have none
rounded at both ends no way in no way out almost like a miniature
prison, then to Hakans surprise he felt himself lift the bottle and
throw it into a nearby tree with unimaginable force, the effect was
explosive, shards of glass flew as green and orange flashes of light
cascaded from the blast, reeling back Hakan looked towards the village
anxiously for enemies, if they were still there this would bring them
running, why had he thrown the bottle at a tree?

When the plumes of smoke had lifted no one had come from the village,
this bottle was a booby trap planted to try snare others who escaped on
the night, instinct had saved Hakans life it would have gone off on in
his hand if he'd held it a second longer.

"Master what is your bidding?" came the voice

Hakan turned and fell simultaneously the voice was like a bullet
ricocheting past his ear from nowhere, there bowing before him was a
boy perhaps 13 years old dressed like a prince from a thousand years
ago, olive skinned, handsome and immaculately groomed, the boy raised
his head ever so slightly.

"My pardon if I offend Master but to summon me in future one only has
to rub the glass and I will appear."

Hakan had grown up with tales of beasts, potions, evil djins and before
him now if he was not mistaken a Genie, a Genie of the bottle? It
couldn't be.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He scowled

"I am your servant master, I am here only to do your bidding not
mine."

Hakan lay motionless evaluating this unexpected turn of events, his
father had always told him be prepared to accept the unexpected and if
possible use it to his advantage had his Father envisaged this
though?

"Do something."

"Something Master?"

"Something you can do that I can't."

"That list is endless Master, you will have to state what you
require."

Hakan thought for a moment and decided on a small test.

"Your bottle, your home whatever it is you call it is now destroyed,
where will you go when I finish with you?"

"Ah! That I can show you now."

The Genie then placed one palm of his hand on top of the other, and
then raised it slowly to reveal a new mysteriously coloured bottle
identical to the previous one.

"There you have it my new home, please Master take care of this
one."

Hakan was too amazed by the magic initially to be hurt by his slaves
insult about his carelessness; he wanted to see something else.

"Return to your bottle then Genie if that is what I call you?"

"My name is Ashok Master, but you can call me what you wish, please
call on me whenever you desire something."

A moment passed and the Genie had gone and in Hakans hands lay the now
new and precious mystical bottle, however wonderful this bottle was it
would have to wait, sprinting now without fear of the enemy Hakan ran
towards the village, a feeling of dread told him something worse than
strangers with guns lay a head.

When Ashok was called for again later that day it was the for only the
second time in ten thousand years, his first visit earlier in the day
had been tantalisingly short his first taste of stale air had been like
the sweet taste of honeyed wine he'd tasted on the day he'd been made
prisoner of the bottle, his new and first Master was a boy like himself
scowling with disbelief at his new servant, Ashok had been tempted to
blow this little Urchin away like an ant but greater beings than he
were waiting just for him to do just that and punish him again, here he
had a master a boy like him and like him , boys dream, boys are
impatient, boys are greedy and boys can do the most of evil of things
and so maybe just maybe his chance would come.

"Master you called?"

He stood in what were the remnants of an old stone house destroyed by
some great force, above no roof just the stars for a ceiling each one
an eye gazing down policing Ashok making sure nothing was amiss and
that he was behaving. Hakan sat in the corner of his former home
looking at this creature from another dimension, tears rolled down his
eyes but crying was all he'd done for the last three hours and his
father used to say personal feelings got in the way of hard thinking,
the time for sorrow would have to come later.

"Ashok," he called.

when Ashok turned to him he continued," Come with me into my village, I
want you to see why I do what I am about to do."

Together they walked for Ashok darkness was a new joy, this was like
being born again tasting life again, night time was the time he
remembered when he came alive long long ago.

The village or what was once a village lay levelled to ground now just
smoking rubble and timber, Ashok wondered of what had man become to
create havoc like this, Hakan stopped and pointed to what was the
square of his village, now it was just something grotesque.

The little boys voice quivered with anger and maturity as he named the
bodies of his family that lay naked on the ground bound and gagged each
one's age each one's nickname and personality each one's hopes and
aspiration's, not one member had survived each parent, brother, sister,
Aunt, Uncle nephew and niece each lay dead riddled with bullets. He
hoped they were now together in a better place if that was a
consolation. He turned to Ashok holding a piece of paper up for him to
see.

"This was around my Fathers neck Genie it says," "Little one we didn't
get you this time, but be assured we will and when we do we'll send you
to your family, we will do this quickly if you give yourself up, Don't
be a crying Jackal like your Father Hakan do something your family has
never done before, do something with honour."

Ashok could see the rage brewing in his little Master's eyes the last
sentence had done what it intended "patience, patience Ashok" he
thought, the opportunity was there, but just like the forbidden fruit
in that famous garden he could not take, he had to be given.

"Genie boys of my age dream of you and the wishes you can bring true.
If I could ask for riches, sailboats and white stallions nothing before
today would have taken preference, but there lays my life on the ground
in this "dreadful place," everything I love and cherish lies wretched
and undignified at my feet, I hope their deaths were quick, but my head
tells me no. I am the last of my family, I pray thanks that my
Grandparents are not alive to see this or to suffer the same, I am the
last of Mahmood family, I must have revenge. Fate has brought you to my
side so together we will cause my enemies great pain."

Ashok breathed deeply "almost there," just wait this was taking no
effort at all.

"Revenge master is a thing that takes many forms, you will have to be
clear, precise about what you require, before I do what I have to
do."

Hakan was ruthless, the afternoon of grief was also one of hate just
like his Tyrant Father Hakan would spare no one who had any part in
this slaughter, this land would run red in rivers of blood, no one
would receive mercy, they would all receive the slowest and most
painful of deaths, families would be wiped off the Earth as if they
never existed any dissent would be met with the same retribution. Hakan
also showed what a greedy little boy he had become and spelled out the
riches and splendour that Ashok would be required to provide. The army,
the palaces, the wives and gardens of indescribable beauty, the list
was endless.

Ashok restrained himself and in his last role as a dignified
servant.

"Master this is what you require me to do, this is your command?"

"Yes I command it, I demand it, I wish it now, I wish the ruler of this
land and all his subjects the most painful and slowest of
deaths."

"Then I must do what I must do."

Ashok sat down by the beach free from his prison of ten thousand years,
his freedom had brought him back his human mortality, it had lost him
the attire of a prince, in place were the rags of a little boy who had
just taken his place inside the bottle, this little boy had fallen for
the same trap he had all that time ago, this little boy behind his
grief was even more greedy and evil than Ashok had been, Ashok stared
into the bottle, in the mist he knew a little figure inside was
distraught scampering for the light calling out for help unheard, after
a while maybe a hundred years he'd realise this was no good and all
would be clear.

"Be patient my friend you have immortality and fine clothes, but that
is all, I hope your stay is not as long as mine and that someone will
release you from your living hell, the previous occupant to me offered
me no such hope, this is an evil toy made by minds more malicious than
either of us, I am sorry but I really had no choice."

With that Ashok hurled the bottle as far as he could into the sea, he
was a little worried that what he had done was against one of the many
careful rules his servant had spelled out to him before sending him to
this prison.

"Under no circumstances must you coerce or manipulate, it must always
be of the victims own volition what they do or decide," his jailer told
him.

Ten thousand years surely they would not punish him for coaxing a
little boy like himself into throwing a bottle against a tree, he'd
merely hurried things along he'd paid his dues and more. No he was
going to be fine, he was free to live another 60 years to savour things
he'd missed out on, one being the new Dawn he was enjoying now, he
smiled and breathed in the now fresh sea air.

Behind him three men approached uniformed and armed, they'd watched
from the village for a few minutes curious at the boys behaviour. He
turned and met their smiles, puzzled he still returned one of his own,
but their smiles were cruel.

"Little one we're so glad you returned, you can join your family
now."