"...your job will make you a genie."
"What?" you splutter. A genie? Confused, you read on:
"We are glad that a woman of your calibre is joining us. Your job will require you, as a genie, to use the magical powers you will be given to do what our clients ask of you. When you finish reading this letter, you will begin preparation for the job."
Reading the last line, you frown. You feel a sudden sting, and the world around you suddenly changes. You are in a strange room with glowing walls, and people around you in uniforms are running around... have you just been transported to the company you signed up with?
"Ah, there you are," says a male voice from behind you. You spin around and see a man in his sixties with white hair and a small beard staring at you blankly. "You are the new girl?"
"Yes..." you reply, beginning to wonder if you really wanted this job after all.
"Right, then," he says, and suddenly a wide array of assorted objects appear around you. These range from ice cream conatiners to soft drink cans to toasters and everything in between.
"What's all this?" you ask.
"You are a genie, right?" says the man gently. "Well, you'll need accommodation." Seeing your blank look, he adds, "A bottle."
"These are bottles?" you say, laughing despite yourself.
"Yes, well, clients are less inclined to take the old-school variety nowadays," the man says.
"I have to live in one of these," you repeat.
"Yes," said the man, "and then we'll give you your powers and send you to someone."
You deflate at the thought of years, maybe even a lifetime like this. "There's no way out, is there?"
"If it's any consolation," says the man, "it's far worse for those poor souls who end up working for us as enchanted teacups - and believe me, we have those. Now, hurry up, we don't have forever here!"
"All right," you say, scanning the array of items around you, before making your pick.