Jinn, of the bottle

Chapter 3
Paul's Storm

Chapter Description: The whole world witnesses the power of Paul's Djinni of the lamp (see Jinn), but they'll all soon forget, except those lucky to posses a djinni of their own.

At home Sam ran straight to his room, he didn’t want his step mom catching a glimpse of what he’d got her for mother’s day. He’d made it home but not before the rain got him, “stupid damn weather, this wasn’t supposed to happen” he thought, “Sunshine for the rest of the day” that’s what the weather girl said, stupid unreliable weather reporter.”

Fortunately, this was excuse he needed to avoid sitting down for dinner the second he walked through the door. “Your dinner’s on the table, errr Sam?” called his mom, “I’m soaked through mom, I need to dry off and get changed.”

He grabbed a towel from the cupboard and head for his room, his shoes squelched with each step “TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF SAM!!!” called his step mom upon sight of the muddy foot prints plastered up the stair case.

Sam kicked them off into the corner of the room and stuck a hair dryer on near them to dry them out.

His clothes were less important to worry about right now, he took them and left them in a heap on the floor as he towelled himself dry, he’d placed the perfume bottle on his table, it needed a good clean even though the rain had gotten a lot of it off, he gave it a quick rub down with his damp towel left it on the side board. He thought better than to leave it on display in full view so he tossed his damp clothing which squelched with a thump around the bottle, it would be bad if his mother found it after dinner, but worse if his sister came in and saw it, she’d mock him for weeks.

Sam arrived down stairs at the dinner table, his older sister finishing her pudding and their mom was sipping a cup of tea, they were watching an emergency news broadcast about the freak weather conditions.

His dinner of bangers and mash was mildly warm, still edible, he slumped in his chair and began to wolf it down with copious amounts of tomato ketchup, listening in on the news report.

“The extreme weather conditions witnessed today were totally unpredictable, as you can see behind me it has caused total chaos on the roads…thanks Jim, we have reports that these weather conditions are global, reports coming from across America, Europe and Asia, we are moving to our representative in London, Simon just how bad is it where you are?”

Sam looked up from his plate, the imagery was insane, the streets of London were awash with rain water, the Thames was spilling into the city as tidal forces battered the estuary “Huh, nice teeth Simon, hey Mom aren’t they used to rain in England?”

“Not like this twerp, it’s the middle of freekin’ summer” snapped his sister from the couch.

“Sam, don’t be rude, Sal, be nice to your brother” mom snorted without so much as looking away from the television.

“…totally unexpected, such weather conditions have never before been reported, some say the events are of biblical proportions”

“Well thank you Simon, I think we’d best not jump to conclusions about religious views, next we bring you our correspondent in Hong Kong…”

“Sally, Samuel, I don’t want either of you two going out tonight OK, you’ve both got to stay in until this weather dies down.” Called their mother.

“Oh Mom” whined both kids in unison. “I was gonna drive over to Megan’s house later and do some studying” insisted Sally.

“You can spend time with your friends tomorrow Sal, this weather is insane”

“…Well I hope you can appreciate the possibility that judgement day is upon us….. sorry to interrupt father but we have more breaking news, it appears that a house has been blown away and the property owner struck not once, not twice but three times by lightening. Some viewers may find the footage disturbing”.

The imagery was chaos, a man was being treated for burns as witnesses retold their story of events.

Jerry can we get a report is the man alive? He is? Is it a hoax? IT’S NOT?!?! We need an interview…. Breaking news, a man struck by lightening on National television survives to tell the tale, more after the break.”

The report cut to commercials, Sam’s mom got up, “That’s it, I can’t take it, I am going to have a bath, stay out of trouble you two, Sal, you’re in charge.”

“Oh but mom” Sam protested, “no arguing Sam, she’s the oldest and most sensible”

Immediately Sal sent her younger brother to his room, they argued but she won out, she was taller, stronger, smarter and older, she tugged him by the sideburns of his hair and dragged him halfway up the stairs calling him names such as twerp and short stuff.

She practically tossed him into his room where he lay grimacing at the intense pain from the sides of his head.

He remained laying on the floor, and cried himself to sleep as the storm raged outside.

Behind the damp heap the bottle stirred, awakened by the unnaturally occurrence of such thunder and lightening, the flames danced on the body as if alive, the dragons of the lid really were chasing each other about the top, the bottle warmed with such intensity that steam began to waft gently away from the heap of clothes.

The steam grew intensely, the bottle lid popped open from which its top bellowed thick plumes of smoke as sparks hissed quietly up to the ceiling, scorching both it and the wall in the process as specks of light spread about the desk top.