It read "This lamp belongs to Mathusalem, whoever else cleans this lamp shall be cursed". This made Kate sigh. A lot of good that did her...
"This is no help at all!" she cursed.
The genie didn't bother commenting or answering, knowing Kate was already in a bad mood. Kate grumbled and punched her new frilly and fluffy pillow to sp[end her nerves on something while not making too much noise and make her parents or little brother come and check what was going on. She sighed again.
"The jerk! Why would that guy curse the lamp like that?"
"Well," said the genie. "He wished for eternal life, which I did give him. Because he did not heed when I told him magic had a way of doing its own thing, he got angry at the result and cursed the ;lamp's future users."
"Why? What happened?" asked Kate with much curiosity.
"He got eternal life all, right, but not eternal youth. The difference is subtle but important. So he lived for millennia, but staying old and decrepit. Eternal life, but without youth. And he'd asked for riches and women first. But riches could not buy him youth and women turned away as he became ever more wrinkled, frail and crumbling."
"Yeah, I see why he'd be angry. But it's no reason to curse that lamp. What about the rest of us? And how did he do it anyway?"
"He found an old witch. Gave him the lamp and forced her to make a wish to curse the lamp. She asked for beauty and riches too. But she was not precise either so she became a beautiful female donkey that spit gold coins each time she brayed. Mathusalem took her with him and they lived together until she died of old age, still a donkey. The old man had her mate with jackasses, hoping the foals would also bray gold but alas for him, none ever did. So take care and be very precise concerning your wishes."
"Yeah. But still, that's harsh," said Kate with a grimace.
But it did make her think and she started scribbling potential wishes. Very precise ones because she had learned her lesson. The riches and beauty were good starts because although cliche, well, in this world, it was the best to have. Kate had not made the rules, after all. That was how the world was, unfortunately. But eternal youth seemed good too. Or maybe a cool superpower. Something for her because she'd be rich, now. She pondered and she thought more about it the next day, which meant that her day at school wasn't very productive. Not that it was easy to concentrate anyway. She had new female friends from her classes and yet her old male friends acted like they did not know her. Which they dod not. In this reality, she had never befriended Josh, Mike, Lewis and the others. That was weird enough. But by the time she came home, homework was the last thing on her mind.
"Hey, genie, I know what my wishes should be," Kate said.
"Very well. What will those be? I hope you gave it much thought."
"Yes, I did. I wish for eternal youth, to have gold coins and gems magically appear from me and the power to be the cutest girl around and wow everyone," she said. "If I cannot be a dude, I might as well have all of that."
"As you wish," said the genie.
At once, a whirlwind engulfed Kate and she felt herself carried away.
"What's happening!?!?" she exclaimed.
"You are being transported to the fay world," said the genie. "You did not think you could have all these powers in the human world, let alone staying human, did you? Good luck."
Before Kate could answer, she was definitely transported to another realm and started her transformation, leaving the genie and his lamp behind forever.