How I Met Your Monster #34

Taru

Profile:

Taru, 1000+

Genie

Likes: I assume freedom, but who knows

Dislikes: People trying to break the rules

Bio:

Hey, everyone. Seeing as how nobody goes looking for lamps anymore, I've been allowed to try and pass it along on here. So, please swipe right

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I had swiped right on a specific Unhinged user, and moments later, there was a knock on my apartment door. I didn't think anything of it, but I was confused by the unmarked package sitting on the the floor just outside of it. I brought it in. It somehow felt light and heavy at the same time. I looked all over the box, but it was completely unmarked. Just a nondescript brown cardboard box with tape across the top. I've cut myself before trying to muscle my way through threaded tape, so I began looking for something to cut it open with.

"I wish I knew where my knife was."

The box began to rattled and move. The tape ripped open, revealing a lamp that was producing lavender smoke from it. The smoke filled my living room, and as it dissipated, I could see a figure standing in the middle of it. It cleared, and I saw that it was Taru, the genie I had just swiped right on. She stood tall, with angular features. She was wearing stereotypical genie clothes covering her legs and upper torso. Her outfit was lavender with gold lining, to match the lavender of her skin. She walked past me, reached into my sofa, and pulled my knife out, handing it to me.

"You have two wishes left."

"Wait, seriously? It's that easy?"

She shrugged, "Pretty much."

I sighed. The idea of wishes sounded like a dream, but you always hear stories about genies either taking everything as a wish or adjusting it in a way to make it not be what you actually wanted. In fact-

"Why do genies do that? Where we wish for something and you muck it up?"

She laughed and floated up, her legs turning into a smoky v beneath her, "Honestly? For shits and giggles. We get cooped up for so long that any form of entertainment when we're out will hold us over for awhile."

"Why not try and be helpful and gain trust?"

She stretched out her arms, summoning various things above her head. She seemed satisfied and nodded, "And what? Hope one of you lot goes against your nature and gives me my freedom? Ha! Fat chance. Almost every first wish is the same. Either they do something dumb like you did, or they ask for more. More money, more wishes, more genies even. Stupid. Greedy. That's what I have to look forward to. So, I have a little fun here and there."

"So, you think there's just no chance someone will actually free you?"

"Not really, no. I don't want to say it's impossible, because I mean. Genie. Anything is possible. But people that are that selfless aren't out looking for genies, you know?"

I had to give her that point. I thought about what to ask her. She seemed very set in her ways. Then it struck me.

"I wish were free."

She looked at me, eyes wide. The lamp exploded behind her, and the smoke pooling from it joined the rest of her form. She looked at her hands and summoned more items, making sure the magic still worked. Her eyes quickly found their way back to mine.

"Wait, why? That was only your second wish. You didn't even try to hold it over my head and make false promises. What gives?"

"It's not worth it to me, Taru. You can go if you'd like." I pointed toward the door, then sat on my sofa, grabbing my phone and going back to an earlier conversation with Felsya. She was having a busy day at work, but responded quickly. I looked up after a few minutes, and Taru was still standing there, staring at me with a shocked look.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I-I don't know what to do. Getting freed was always a pipe dream. I have all this power, but I don't know anything about the world. I don't know what to do now."

"Oh, that's easy."

I sent a quick goodbye to Felsya and led Taru out the door. We walked around the main strip of the downtown area, where she could see all sorts of markets, stores, and artsy places. It was a nice day out, so there were plenty of people out and about. I let her look with wild eyes at the things around her as we slowly made out way down the street. I treated her to some Thai food, showed her an improv comedy show, and walked her to a nearby art gallery. Afterward, we sat on the steps overlooking the nature park.

"There's so much to do," she said.

"Yeah, and that's just one street. There's a whole world beyond that. And sure, some of it is going to suck, but there is so much to take in out there. Like you said, you have all these powers. You can go and seek and learn and experience anything and everything."

"I just don't understand why you did this." She looked at me, her flowing lavender hair turning to smoking wisps in the moonilight. Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes and I smiled softly at her.

"I just thought about what mattered most. Sure, there were like a million things I could have wished for that would have made my life easier, but easy isn't what I'm aiming for. I'm trying to learn every day and become better on my own. Any sort of magic to do that is just a shortcut that I don't want to be reliant on."

"So, why not make some big grand gesture?"

I laughed, "You pretty much confirmed to me that if I had done something like that, you would have messed with it. Then my last wish would be to undo it and you would be back in the lamp. I didn't want all that. So I skipped the bullshit and went straight to the easiest option. Giving you a chance to have something to look forward to besides messing with people.

She looked back over the park, tears clearly streaming down her cheeks. She nodded once to herself and stood up. "Thank you," she said before flying high into the sky and taking off into the distance.

I watched the sun go down in the park, and was soon joined by a welcome prescience. Felsya sat down next to me and laid her head on my shoulder. "You know that freeing a genie is super dangerous, right?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't just let her be so cynical."

Felsya chuckled and wrapped her hands in mind as the stars came out.

Dear readers, don't become accustomed to the same old same old to the point where it stops you from reaching for your dreams. There are some of those that don't have the option. Until next time.

-Silas D.