THE MOMENT
"Oooh, fancy," Barley grinned as the white smoke formed into a humanoid shape. She was only 15 and still found simple pleasures in everyday things. She'd been walking along the beach enjoying the sand on her feet when she kicked something. She looked down to see a beat-up golden oil lamp. She was quick to pick it up more for the lamp's unique style than wanting to deal with a genie. But, she wasn't surprised when the smoke started pouring out after giving it a good rub to be sure.
"Greetings, Master," the slim, ethereal, half-body gave a slight bow while everything below the waist retained its smokey tether to the lamp.
"Hi, you can call me Barley," she smiled. "What's your name?"
"I have no need for a name, Master Barley. I am simply the genie of the lamp," he said. "I will grant you three wishes; what does your heart desire the most?"
"Well, you don't need a name; it's still nice to have. Can I give you one?" Barley asked.
"What about your wishes?" the genie asked. All his previous Masters had been eager to get to their wishes and they were often rude about it. The genie had a name once; but, he forgot it over the years. No one had asked him for it before. He was a tool, not a person.
"Oh, that's a great idea!" Barley smiled at him. "I WISH for your name to be something that you're proud of!"
"What?" Goma the Proud was surprised at her wish as his own name rang clear in his mind.
"What's your name?" Barley asked again.
"I am Goma the Proud, and confused," he added with a chuckle. "Master Barley, why are you wasting your wishes on me? You're young, surely you have wishes. What can I grant you?" he asked. Barley looked around the quiet beach. The sun was halfway into the horizon and a cool autumn breeze tugged loose strands of blonde hair across her face.
"I'm good right now," she shrugged. "Maybe I'll think of something later." She was the first person to ever put him on the back burner like that. It was nice in a way; but, it only made him want to please her more. It almost felt like a challenge, as if he couldn't possibly offer her anything.
"Nothing? At all??" Goma asked. "That's impossible, you have to want something!" he said.
"Oh, yeah," Barley nodded. "Now that I think about it, I'm kind of munchy. Not really hungry, but a snack would be nice. I wish for a medium bucket of popcorn, like the same size from the movie theater; I don't need too much," she said. If Goma had the power to deny wishes, he would have definitely blocked that one. He was mildly annoyed when the bucket of popcorn appeared in her hands. She didn't hesitate to start eating.
"Do you not understand what I'm capable of?" he asked. "I can grant you Fame. Would you prefer power? MONEY??" he was concerned that she seemed to be ignoring his offers. "Don't you want any of that?"
"Pffftt," Barley giggled and rolled her eyes. "I'm capable of those things too," she said. "I can't say they're a high priority."
"MAGIC!??" he asked. Goma realized the poor girl simply lacked imagination. He should have offered her some more extreme examples. "Superpowers?? Immortality?"
"Ooooh," she looked up. "Immortality does sound kind of neat; there's a lot I want to see. I WISH for-"
"WAIT!!" Goma felt guilty. Barley had proven to be quite pleasant and for once, he wasn't eager to see a Master get screwed over by their own thoughtlessness. "You only have one wish left! You shouldn't wish for Immortality; it doesn't come with all the stuff most people think of. You only become unable to die; but, you'll still age, you're still capable of being infected with diseases, and you won't have any supernatural regeneration. You'd need to wish for those separately."
It wasn't the first time he'd explained that rule; but, he was still surprised by her reaction. Usually, he was met with anger and entitlement; but, Barley laughed.
"You're funny," she smiled. The blonde teenager straightened her back, put her hands on her hips, and lowered her voice to mock him. "I AM ALL POWERFUL. I CAN GRANT YOU ANY WISH; but, not that one," she giggled some more. It was borderline insulting; but, he couldn't find a hint of malice anywhere in Barley. She seemed to be enjoying the interaction more than anything.
"Yeah yeah, you're right," he said with his own playful tone. "So, waiting on that third wish, then?"
"No, actually, I think I'm ready," she said. "The popcorn made me kind of thirsty. That's a wish you can handle, right?" She sounded perfectly pleasant even while making Goma feel useless.
"Yes, Master Barley. I believe I can," he nodded. He was a bit saddened that she went through her wishes so fast; but, at the same time, he was glad to learn there was someone like her in existence.
"I WISH for a large Soda please! Just like a regular large, you don't gotta try to drown me in soda."