Chapter 1 – duck, duck, goose
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride’
– Old
proverb, author unknown.
Nick stepped slowly into the shower, not bothering to test the temperature. All that he cared about was that it was hot, and the steam was proof enough. He didn’t care if he broiled like a lobster.
It had been a long week, and his muscles ached with tension. He had promised to deliver a car to his cousin five states over, no questions asked. The five thousand dollar payment, promised on delivery, pretty much proved this whole damn thing was not on the up and up. Not that that really mattered. So here he was in yet another dingy motel, with an equally dingy shower and he tried not to think about what could be growing in the corner of the shower.
He was just thankful for the dim lighting.
Dunking his head under the low powered jet stream, he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. One more day, one more day and the car would be gone and he could disappear. Turn his back on his two bit family, maybe head to the coast, and be free. He just needed a bit of money, a cushion to get him started.
He rubbed his hand over his head, splashing water on the obviously Wal-Mart bought shower curtain, decorated with cartoon ducks. He looked at them uneasily. He swore they all looked evil in their little tiny sailor’s caps.
It was then he thought he saw something move.
Okay one to many greasy hamburgers and way too many hours on the road… there is no way …
But then the dammed thing moved again! The mould in the corner was shifting, quivering and most definitely moving!
Flailing backwards and out of the shower, nearly taking the damned evil shower curtain with him, he tripped, landing on his wet and naked behind.
Cockroach… it had to be a cockroach!
Nick crawled over to the edge of the tub and peered over.
The little green sludge seemed to be boiling and gurgling in the water. Nick couldn’t help but stare as the sludge started to change shape.
This was no dammed bug.
Slowly the sludge grew, contorting until it finally started taking on the shape of something similar to that of one of the evil gremlins from that movie, only green and slimy, and more warty.
Suddenly two large eyes looked at him, and his heart skipped a beat.
It spoke, it’s voice grating and whining like nails on a chalkboard. ‘Threeeeee, wishesssssss, I give…. Threee.’
Chapter 2 – if it looks like a duck
"If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands."
-Douglas Adams
‘Just stay the hell away from me, okay!’
‘But I givessss you wishesssss.’
Nick hurried down the street brushing a hand through his damp hair anxiously, as freaked out as he was he barely took time to dress, never mind dry his hair. Running down the street naked was not a very good idea, people notice stuff like that and he was trying to make a quick get away here. But his escape still wasn’t as stealthy as he had hoped since the noxious green and yellow blob slid down the sidewalk after him, leaving a trail much like a salted slug. He turned and screamed it, “Dammit, quit following me!’ It was then he noticed the people who were stopping to stare at the screaming crazy man.
A slightly plump business woman who had initially rushed by him, froze when she caught a glimpse of his pursuer, the scream was deafening. Somewhere glass was breaking from the vibrations. And as these things happen other people started stop and take notice too, and a crowd started to form.
Nick didn’t have time for this, it was getting dark. He wanted a beer, okay many beers. So that he could wake up in the morning and blame this all on bad tacos or something. He needed to getaway, put this stinking town behind him. Deliver the damned car and start a new life once and for all. So as people pressed in trying to get a closer look at the weird green blob he turned and ran.
Three blocks down he ducked in to a bar, heading straight for a table at the back. He couldn’t even face the barflies at the moment… he just wanted to be alone with many, many drinks. A waitress with too tight jeans and a low cut shirt took his order and faded back in to the crowd. Nick took a deep breath sinking back in to the booth chair. He laid his hands on the table and they were quivering slightly. Adrenalin, maybe? What the hell had just happened? What was that thing?
The waitress was back with his beer. ‘Tough day?’ She smiled as she set the beer down.
‘You don’t know the half of it, keep them coming okay?’
She nodded and was gone again, like some magical beer fairy. Just as the beer hit his blood stream and he started to relax properly he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
‘Shit,’ he swore as the green slug slithered on to the table.
‘You are afraid of wishessss.’
‘Listen Mister, erm, thing. I don’t know what’s happening, here and I don’t really care. You are just a hallucination, bad Taco Bell from two states back. Why don’t you go bother someone else? I got nothing to offer you anyways.’
‘I am the one offeringssss, I have chosen you and I can not takesssss it back. It’ssss a gift, a costly one. You cannot refuse. ’
‘Look I don’t have any money.’
The thing hissed and spit, much like an angry cat, ‘Do I looksss like money is important to me?’
Nick fell silent then … thinking weighing his options. ‘Do you have a name?’
‘I am Duxbury, but my name meansssss nothing. What do you wish?”
Nick scratched at the table with his fingernail. ‘Are you like a Genie or something? Shouldn’t you be living in a bottle?’
‘I am Djinn!’ it snarled and sneered causing some sort of liquid dribble down its chin.
‘Okay okay, I am just trying to get the facts straight here; I’ve read books, okay well comic books. And I think I sort of know how this works. The one thing I do know is the people who make wishes always get screwed over. How do I know that won’t happen to me?’
‘You don’t, I can’t control your wishesssss, I am merely facilitating themssss.’
‘So there are no rules?’
‘Only that you can’t wish for more wishessss… only 3 that is all, no more.’
Nick tapped his fingers on the tabletop nervously. ‘Okay I’m in.’
Duxbury’s grin grew wide and sinister, ‘You never had a choice.’
Chapter 3
"If you're given a choice between money and sex appeal, take the money. As you get older, the money will become your sex appeal."
– Katherine Hepburn
Nick ran his finger through the moisture dripping down his beer mug. Perspiration; he was pretty sure that the beer wasn’t the only thing sweating at the moment. ‘What if I decide not to make a wish at all?’
‘You say the word wisssssh and it will happen. If one day you were hungry and you wished for a sandwich, it would appear, you angry at someone and wish them dead, they’ssss be dead!’ Duxbury gurgled back.
‘So be careful what I wish for?’
‘All clichés comesssss from some where.’
Nick studied the creature in front of him, it was truly disgusting. ‘This is just so freaking surreal, it can’t be happening.’
‘Make your wishessss and you will see.’
‘Alright, alright give me a minute here. I got to think about this.’
What did he want? Gads his family was just so freaking messed up; all he ever really wanted was away. Should he wish for a new family? Nah, too many variables there. He could wish to be a rock star or a famous Hollywood actor? If he was stuck on a desert island what would he take? Gads this was just so freaking ridiculous and not as easy as one would think. What could he wish for that allowed him to keep his options open? Money! Okay totally stereotypical but it wouldn’t limit him, well not in anyway he could think of. ‘Okay, my first wish is for lots of money!’
Duxbury gave a small smile and closed his eyes.
Nick waited… nothing happened. No poof of smoke, no sparkle of fairy dust… nothing. Just in case he searched the bench beside him for a case or a bag or something, wait a minute! Maybe there was too much money for that to happen! Nick looked back towards Duxbury, where the little green slime monster still sat eyes closed. Maybe it took a like time to grant a wish? So he sat and waited, and well waited.
Beer gone and bored Nick decided to finally risk confronting the quiet Djinn in front of him. Nick’s lip curled with disgust has he reached forward with his index finger and tentatively poked the green slim ball in the stomach.
Duxbury let out a startled snort, wiped drool from his mouth, and looked positively annoyed! ‘Whyss you wake me!’
‘What the hell!? You were sleeping!?”
'Why not, I deservesss nap! I’m old!’ Duxbury shot back with hands on his … well general hip area.
‘Well, where is it?’ Nick shouted causing a few people to glance curiously their way. Nick lowered his voice cautiously. ‘I knew this was just crap. You can’t do it can you? Wishes my ass!’
Duxbury pointed his own stubby finger at him, ‘I am no liar! I made wisssssh! You just too stupid! I bring it here people will see, causessss you trouble. Itsss back at hotel. Safe! I am no liarsssss!’
Nick pulled out his wallet quickly and threw some money for the waitress on the table and ran for the door. Duxbury followed close behind leaving nothing but his usual trail of slime.
***
Back at the hotel nick shoved his key card in to the slot on the door. The little light blinked red. ‘Freaking hell,’ Nick swore and shoved the card in again more roughly. He shoved the card in two or three more times before realizing he had the wrong room. Shifting over a few steps he tried again, this time with more success. The light blinked green and he tore open the door and threw on the interior lights.
His eyes tearing slightly at the sudden brightness he glanced around the room. On the foot of his bed sat an old blue suitcase. Old didn’t quit describe it. It looked like it could quite possibly be the first suitcase ever made. The edges were frayed and there had to be at least an inch of dust on it. Nick knelt by the bed and did his best not to sneeze, there was an odd mouldy smell that seemed to permeate the case. ‘Gads, where is this from, the Titanic?’
Duxbury pulled himself up the sheets and sat beside the case. There would no way he would be sleeping on that bed tonight now, erg dust and slime!
‘You did not specify, that the moneysss come from certain place. Only that you wanted lotssssss of money.’ Duxbury made little quote marks in the air with his fingers. ‘This is lots of moneysss! ’
Nicked eyed the Djinn dubiously as he cracked open the ancient case. ‘What the hell are these, doubloons?’
Duxbury smiled happily, clapping his greasy little hands. ‘When I was young that was lotssssss of moneysss’
Nick moaned. ‘I knew this was a trick, I mean I can’t exactly pay off my debts with these can I? Hell I can’t even buy lunch with these!’
The Djinn’s face fell. Nick swore he looked more then disappointed. “But I gave you you’re wish. You didn’t…’
‘I know, I know I didn’t specify,’ he raised his had to stop the whining before it began. ‘I’ll just have to be more careful next time.’
‘I toldssss you I don’t lie! Yes, make your next wishessss now! I am old and I do not have all day!’ Duxbury crossed his arms smugly. ‘This timesss don’t screw it up!’
Chapter 4
"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."
– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
‘Make your next wishessss now!’
‘Listen Ducky, they are my wishes and I need to think about this, what’s your damned hurry anyways?’
‘My name is Duxbury, notsss Ducky!’ He crossed his little stubby arm’s in disgust. ‘And I can’tsss help it if you’re stupidssss.’
‘Hey, now!’ Nick snapped, obviously the little green turd was more sensitive then he thought.
He sat on the bed slowly… and safe distance from the smelly suitcase and its useless coins. Really all his life had revolved around getting away from his family. What if it had been different, what if he could start new? It had been difficult to meet a nice girl in his current situation. Maybe that’s the wish then. It was a dangerous one. What if the woman who could love him was 40 years older or something? He would have to be cautious. He gazed out the widow absently, it was starting to rain. He took a deep breath; he had to do this right, it was too important to screw up. ‘I have a wish, but I have stipulations as well… I want something very specific.’
Duxbury nodded tenting his figures, in a way that made him look very much like an evil genius. ‘Yessss go ahead.’
‘All my life, all I have ever wanted was unconditional love; someone to love me, which I could love back. A girl, who is not too old and not to young …maybe a brunette? Pretty… I know beauty isn’t everything but it would help if she wasn’t mutated or anything.’ Nick stopped his ramble and took a deep breath. ‘I wish for true love.’
Duxbury sighed happily, ‘That is a goodssss wish.’
Nick didn’t even have the chance to reply when there was a knock at the door. He stood up quickly but then paused nervously. Why? Why was he so worried, he said true love… there is no way she would hate him, he wiped his suddenly sweaty hands on his jeans, walked over to the door and pulled it open.
Deep blue eyes gazed back at him. ‘Hello?’ she nearly whispered. ‘I think I have something that belongs to you.’
Nick smiled trying to play it cool. But the soft rain had made her shirt nearly see through. He couldn’t help himself, here she was the love of his life and she was drop dead gorgeous... he leaned forward, his lips inches from hers.
She jumped back with a shriek. ‘What the hell!’
Nick blinked in surprise. ‘Sorry, I just ….’
But she wasn’t listening… ‘Try and do a favour, and this is what I get some pervert! She shoved something in to his hand, a rope? She stepped back to reveal something huddled behind her. It was a wet soggy looking….. dog!?
‘She was sitting on the sidewalk by the street. If she darted out in to traffic she could have been killed!’ She turned to walk away and Nick reached out to grab her hand.
‘Wait, at least tell me your name.’
She pulled back. ‘Don’t you touch me!’ and she slugged him across the face. Pain rippled along his jaw causing him to stumble back with surprise. She turned abruptly and ran down the sidewalk… he watched her go, rubbing his jaw in shock. What the heck had just happened?
It was a moment before he realized he was still holding the leash in his hand.
Large chocolate brown eyes looked up at him and its tail thumped wetly against the door frame. She looked to be a dark brown Labrador of some sort, maybe 6 months old… not that he knew a lot about dogs so he could be totally wrong.
He led it in to the hotel and out of the rain. ‘I don’t get it? Is she coming back for her dog?’
Duxbury didn’t answer just hummed to himself, rocking back and forth looking extraordinarily happy with himself.
Nick reached down to the dog’s collar, to read its tag. ‘True? Hmm, weird name for a dog.’ He flipped the tag over. Rm 32. 555-3756. ‘Hey that’s my Cell phone number.’ Suddenly everything clicked in to place.
‘FREAKING HELL!!’
To be continued...
