The intense bright of the chamber and the nothingness in the surround was unnerving. A subtle gray mist arose from foot level and it was soon I realized I was balancing on a narrow platform. As I inched a step forward, the platform began to sway from below. It was as if the icy stone were attached by rope-like cylinders and at any moment I could topple into a nose-dive. I stood like this with a great expanse surrounding me. No distractions, nothing in the form of noise or vision to divert my attention away from the knowledge of my terrible blunder at granting Melissa Bland her final wish.

What seemed like weeks later, I finally announced in a clear voice: "I'm sorry for not following the rules! I realize my biggest fault is stubbornness. I should have explained to the girl that bringing someone back is the one thing we are not allowed to do."

Silence and mist overpowered me.

"I will never do it again, honest!"

"I'm not certain what is expected of me here. I've searched my soul, I know how wrong it was to replace one death with the other. I realize I am not God and it is only up to the supreme being to make such monumental decisions. I'm truly sorry about that. Please.......all I want to do is help people who need it. If you peer deep within, you'll know my heart was in the right place. Forcing me to stand here is not helping in the battle. I need to be out in the field once again. I can make a difference in the world of the living. I'm begging you to reconsider this punishment. I promise to listen to Granny, from this point forward I will.....honest."

Days passed and my voice became thin and weak from the constant pleading. I remained fixed on the platform... remained fixed and in place. I refused to give up. Somehow I realized that if I allowed myself to fall into the unknown, my life as Jeanne Wishgiven would be over. I couldn't let go of helping others and I was determined to continue.

Weeks bled into months and the surrounding light finally shifted from white to a soft green. I stood firm as the pastel mist lifted into a vibrant hue. The world around me faded in. My being was miniature and resting at the tip of a blade of wild grass. Lake Michigan was below me and I realized my surroundings was that of Three Corners. The wake splashed the beach in towering rows and my emotions melted from my favorite view.

Unlike the feel of the future, I was cast into the days from the past, my past. This was apparent by the lack of development around the wonderful dune. The view was minus the clutter of condominiums and the grand mansions that lined the beach stood erect in pristine repair.

I slid from the grass blade and floated along the sand. I was no larger than an insect. In fact, I had taken the form of a common housefly. My wings fluttered about as I made my way down the sand mountain. I followed the path as if by instinct and along the trail to my former summer residence.

Landing on the lakeside window, I peered within. The summer help worked like drones, their expressions distant as if for some reason all spirit was erased from their being. They were throwing the large protective tarps about the furniture in preparation to close up for the season. I found this strange since the trees were still of strong color and autumn not apparently close.

I took flight and lifted myself over the house to the back. It was there I noticed the crushed automobile, the tin lizzy that my father had bought me as a gift. I hovered for a moment studying the metallic box that was the cause of my final exit. It was then I realized the reason for this trip back.

I swung to the side entrance and waited at the edge of the doorway. It took several minutes before someone appeared lugging the borrowed chairs from the wedding to a horse drawn wagon enclosed in canvas.

With that, I was soaring inside. I rose up and took to the ceiling avoiding any chance at a maid swatting me during transit. I scaled the stairway from above to the second level of home.

I heard muffled sobs...and somehow I knew it was the desperation of my mother. I flew to that point of energy. The door to my suite was secure and lacking all powers of a genie, I slid beneath the crack and crept inside.

Mother's face was buried into my pillow and her wail, distressed. Why did the elders want me to witness this? I couldn't handle watching my mother grieve like she was. The worst part of the situation was knowing I was powerless to help.

My favorite blue dress was curled within her grip. "Elizabeth!" She repeated over and over again. Her hands reflected her deep agony as she twisted the soft material and rocked in a demented way. The entire episode broke my heart. I needed to do something, but what?

I flew over and landed on her hand.

"Mother!" I said, but all that I managed was a horrible insect's buzz.

"This is all my fault." She said as her voice wavered between gasps and she sat upward in a weak movement.

"No, it is not!" I said as she shooed the fly, me, from her hand.

"If only I hadn't tried to force you into marrying Donovan Winslow."

"It's not your fault!" I shouted as I perched myself on her forehead.

Her hand swatted me at full force and I escaped her wrath by an inch of luck.

"My daughter, my only baby!" She whimpered.

"Mother please!" I buzzed landing on her clothes.

"Your father and I should have listened."

"It's okay mother! It really is...."

This time, her hand slammed and the miniature life form in conjunction with my view from the past, ended.

The square platform was a slight bit larger this time, or was it? A blank screen of white surrounded me and I began to plead my case in a rerun.

"I understand you wanted me to see the natural grieving process. I get it okay? Death is part of life and I must learn to accept it. Maybe I've been allowing my life and death experiences to influence my decisions as a genie. I'll try to do better now."

"I am sorry!" "I didn't mean for any of it to turn out this way. I just wanted to reunite mother and daughter again. I wanted Melissa to have the mother she needed. I had no idea it wouldn't work out. I didn't realize what the end result would be......please allow me to return to the identity of Jeanne Wishgiven and my work."

After further weeks of groveling, the intense mist lifted and my surroundings became visible. I was extended on some sort of flat slate, two feet off the ground of the island. Granny was perched in her rocking chair, a full length afghan taking shape as she worked her nimble fingers.

"Granny!" I managed, happy to see a familiar face.

"Are you through?" She asked with apparent anger creasing her brows.

"Can I step down?" I asked unsure of my fate.

"You could always step down." Granny stated as a fact. "The length of punishment is self determined. You've been by far, harder on yourself than we would have ever been."

"So is all forgiven?" I asked hopping from the stone and onto the warmth of the ocean sand.

Granny shook her head in despair. "Forgiven? Well, not exactly. The marks of disobedience will always blemish you Elizabeth. You'll never be granted team leadership again, no matter how many ghosts or demons you manage to conquer."

"I am sorry, you know." I said with heart filled remorse.

"I certainly can't figure you out. What made you think you could get away with not following the rules? It's your one fault that leaves you vulnerable to the likes of Lucas and his influences."

"I'm sorry, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

"Your 'right thing' cost the world Dr. Melissa Bland. If given the opportunity, she would have created programs to assist in urban childhood counseling. Her contributions to the community were going to be enormous. She had the right stuff Elizabeth, the right stuff to make a difference for others."

"Oh gee." I said gazing downward.

"You see, you can't make those decisions because you lack access to future data. It's not our place to determine life and death, it is our place to make the life part a bit better for those in need."

"Can you explain why it was okay for me to help Richard the soldier and not Melissa Bland?" I asked with a hint of rebelliousness to my tone.

"For one, Richard had not been dead for years. When you located him, he was freshly departed. Three hours is the limit for genies. Human doctors are only allotted twenty... sometimes- thirty minutes, so as you can see, three hours is more than generous."

"And?" I asked.

"It really wasn't his time to depart. Sometimes mistakes are made. You were supposed to correct that mistake and you did. The thing with the Bland family happened as it was intended. Without that childhood trauma, Melissa would never have become the compassionate adult that she was intended to be. I suppose it doesn't matter now! You went against authority and did what you wanted regardless of how it changed the future. With that we have a major problem."

"It won't happen again, I promise." I whispered.

Granny shook her head. "The elders have been pondering what to do about this situation. They seem to feel perhaps you'd benefit from transferring to a team that handles a lighter wish given."

"Lighter wish given?" I asked.

"Yes. You know, object intervention. People who ask for help finding keys, paperwork, television remotes....that sort of thing. You wouldn't even have to materialize to help."

"Oh come on." I said with a tone of irritation.

"Sure working lost and found lacks glamour, but it's still a useful service."

"Granny, you've got to help me. I want to go back to the way things were. I'm not talking about the celebrity of my accomplishments, I'm talking about making a difference in what I do. Please..."

Granny was silent as she considered my request.

"I don't know. The elders are apprehensive to send you back into the field. They think that you'll go off and do as you like regardless of the ramifications. You've all ready been pitched your second strike. One more and you are out of the game completely. I'm just afraid that if you don't accept the demotion, you'll fall back into your old pattern of doing things."

Granny paused as she rocked a few more sways. "Although, I would hate to loose you from the team, you have proved some value in the past."

"So you'll allow me to continue?"

Granny's poker face transformed as an impish grin animated her expression. "You've got one last shot at this, don't make me regret my decision."

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Don't thank me, it was Robert that pleaded your case to the board of elders. Without him, you'd be spending the next century finding lost items in a world of forgetful humans."

"You won't regret this." I said with excitement.

"Why do I get the feeling that sometime soon, I'll be feasting on regret?"