City lights flickered in a variety of color in all directions. I stood in human form on a street corner as cars and trucks passed in a reckless way. Strips of wrappers kicked up and danced as if pulled by invisible string in the wake of speeding cars. I was confused by my surroundings, disturbed that I was minus the protective shell of a bottle enclosure.

The year 1988, apparent by the newspapers at the corner stand. I began to stroll the sidewalk and a modern music overpowered all else. The beat was somewhat catchy and the lyrics muffled. The closer the to the music I became, the more agitated I felt.

There was a solid tug of discontent within my life as a genie. It was odd I had not realized it until that moment. Yes, my inner self was sensing that part of my soul was illuminated in white, the other part in jet black. I had never before experienced this and the corruptness was a slight bit intriguing.

I focused on the world around me. No matter which direction I turned, the same buildings appeared and it seemed I had no choice but to follow the tune.

When I stepped inside a nightclub called The Sizzle House, lyrics that were distorted became clear and concise. There was nothing innocent about content. Lewd and obnoxious words spilled forth from large overhead amplifiers. Beautiful people of all nationalities were dancing in an exotic way on various platforms. Everyone grinned with approval as I made my way inside. A lanky man with dark, mysterious eyes approached. His appearance was breathtaking, his clothes perfect, he had a smile that could charm the last dime away from a beggar. "Would you care to join me on the dance floor?" He asked grasping my hand within his and whisking me away.

As if I had lost all common sense, I complied. I could feel everything human. A racing heart, the exhilaration from dancing with a stranger, the press of bodies around us, the sweat trickling down my back.

The crowd refrained from movement and surrounded us to watch. I was twirled about and managed dance steps that I never believed I had the ability to accomplish. The entire time my attention focused on the mesmerizing dark eyes of the stranger. The longer I stared, the more I wanted to. There was something about him that was overpowering and strong. Without my bottle I could not sense his aura. It wasn't until that moment that I realized my powers were extinguished.

As the song finished, the man led me from the dance floor and into a back sitting room. The finest crimson tapestries decorated the far wall. Leather furniture in midnight black, bold velvet pillows, soft expensive carpet, all arranged to perfection. Tinted windows surrounded in a half moon revealing the crowd of dancers enjoying the club. As if by magic, the racket dwindled away and his voice projected an air of confidence.

"I'm Lucas." He said revealing dimpled cheeks as he grinned.

"Jeanne, Jeanne Wishgiven." I said uncertain what dimension or name I should use.

"Oh, I know who you are." Lucas said gazing at me as if I were the main course at Thanksgiving.

"Can I ask, where am I?"

Lucas began to laugh. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. This is a place only the upper crust are ever invited... We've been watching you for some time now Elizabeth. We've notice that you're at the top of your game and would like to offer you a spot on our team!"

"I don't think I'm interested Lucas, I'm content working with Granny." I said with firmness in my tone, but uncertainty in my heart.

"Oh, Granny can't offer you what I'm willing to give." Lucas shifted his stance then began to pace the room. "Please sit." He said swinging his hand in front of a marshmallow like chair.

"and what are you offering exactly?" I questioned sinking into a cushion that seemed to meld to the curves of my frame.

"A bit of fun, a bit of self satisfaction, top seat as team captain here...." Lucas grinned as if sensing a hint of my inner conflict.

"I recently learned that you've encountered a horrendous injustice. Suppose I told you that I have the power to transport you back, no strings attached and you could maintain the memories of being a genie and change history more to your liking."

"That doesn't seem ethical." I said, but inside felt an overpowering sense of curiosity. Was it curiosity or temptation?

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "You were taken away at the age of twenty Elizabeth. How just is that? You'd found the one man that you were destined to be with- then bang, your life was over."
Lucas pulled an apple from a bowl, grinned, then took a ravenous bite.

"Granny said...." I began.

Lucas interrupted. "Forget what that old woman tells you. It doesn't matter here."

"I don't think I'm interested Lucas." I said fighting the magnetism of the chair and finally wriggling free. The force of release was so strong, it caused me to fly forward and stumble towards the door.

He grinned sheepishly. "You're not?" He hurried to his desk top and rummaged through some paperwork.

"I have a report indicating a direct defiance by you towards Granny and the rules. Did you or did you not attempt a memory transference to Mr. Robert Wright even though you were warned of the ramifications?"

I felt overpowered with shock and I removed my hand from the door knob.

"I see I have your full attention now." Lucas said with a smug tone.

Things fell silent as I considered my options.

"I thought that kiss you gave Robert upon return was absolutely delicious. Didn't it go something like this?"

Lucas slid across the room without moving his feet. In an instant his appearance shifted and he transformed into Robert Wright. Without hesitation, Robert pulled me into him and kissed my lips with surprising passion. The entire experience was shocking and the feelings it conjured took my breath away. "Robert." I whispered feeling an intense longing.

Robert melded back into Lucas and he began to laugh in a demented way.

"You see Elizabeth, you could have an entire lifetime with him! All you have to do is agree to change teams... certainly there is nothing wrong with a bit of a player trade. Teams all over the world do it on a day to day basis."

"Something doesn't seem right about this Lucas! I can't put my finger on it exactly....if you could give me a few minutes with Granny....."

"Granny's not here! Granny will never be invited to this club. She is an old has-been. What is your gut telling you to do right at this moment?" Lucas said in a rush of enthusiasm like a coach energizing a team that's behind three points.

"I don't know." I admitted.

He smiled at my uncertainty.

"Let's take a little trip, shall we?"

Lucas swung in and grasped my hand. In a direct flight upward, we transported from a dimension underground. Daylight appeared throughout a familiar city. I believe it was Chicago and my mind wondered about Stan the Window washer and his new life.

"You want to have some fun Miss Wishgiven?"

"Fun?" I asked surprised.

"You're so uptight, let loose a little bit. You've got to trust me here."

We walked the street and Lucas paused on the corner and pointed at a couple of young men on skateboards.

"Fun." He said as he flung me forward. Without any control, I landed within the body of a rather gawky teenager. His friend was far ahead and calling back. I placed one foot on the board and pushed off with my other foot. Maintaining a surprising amount of balance, I navigated in a tight twisting S through the crowd of morning office drones.

When I reached a staircase, I maneuvered the board into flight sliding down the handrail with perfection and dismounting like a professional. I caught up with the other boy and we rode along at a slower pace.

"Oh dude!" The friend of the teenager remarked. "That was totally awesome!"

"Thanks." I said, surprised at how great it felt to kick back and be human through someone else for a change.

"Let's go to the park and nab some old lady's purse again."

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"Sure dude. Like how last week we managed to heist fifty seven fifty. Enough for you to drop new wheels on your board and enjoy a hot-dog at the corner stand."

"I don't think I want to do that ever again." I said feeling horrible about the poor choices of the young man I had possessed.

"I knew you didn't know how to have fun Jeanne!" The friend said in a voice all Lucas.

Lucas disengaged from the teenager and suctioned me along. This flung the dual teenagers off balance and tumbling from their skateboards.

"Listen Elizabeth, there are two ways to work this world, one is above board, the other is below. If the end result is the same, who cares about the means along the way, right?"

"I do." I said in a tone with stubbornness.

"Suppose it would surprise you to learn Adam has signed on with our team?"

"Yes that would surprise me, he's one of the most talented genies I've ever met."

"He's off at vacation land this very moment convincing Robert to trade and join him. Just imagine, you and Robert working hand in hand as a team. Who knows, we may even allow a bit of interaction between you here."

"Robert will never be fooled by what you offer. You're don't have a good soul Lucas, you are akin with evil!"

"Ah, so you finally see my true essence. It took you long enough to realize..." Lucas began to laugh and the air surrounding the humans broke forth in a rumble of thunder.

"Just let me go now! Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested."

Lucas pondered this demand a moment. "No, you know what? If you want to return to your grim existence, you'll receive no help from me. Besides, you're too good at what you do. For everyone you've helped, it takes fifteen of my team to counter by corrupting the humans. It's all in the numbers, and one day, good will be eliminated and hate will overpower love." He said waving his hands. "Then I will be all powerful and those like you will come begging to me!" He seemed to relish my expression of horror.

"I can only hope it takes Granny forever to find you, that will help our plight and maybe for the next few generations we'll come out ahead!"

"Goodbye little miss perfect! I hope you enjoy years of misery knowing you will never have what you so desire..."

Lucas melted into the sidewalk disappearing within a crack of cement. His blood transformed into a metallic liquid which bubbled as it passed through.

My body began to tremble uncontrollably as the knowledge of Lucas' identity hit home. For the first time since my life as Jeanne I felt weak and in danger. It became obvious I needed to return to my work. I needed to forget about any notions of Robert and the love we once shared. There was too much at stake and there was a battle happening everywhere. A battle in which I was determined to win. In the name of love and peace, I would no longer break any rules. The connection to Robert would just have to be ignored and I could not afford to be selfish any longer. It was time to release every bit of it.

I walked the street bumping elbows, always seeming to head in the opposite direction of the crowds that were traveling.

Downtown Chicago is a huge city. During midday people mill about by the hundreds, everyone rushing to lunch and running errands all by the control of time. The only thing I could think to do was gaze up at the buildings in search of a window washer. How difficult could it be to find Stan during a typical work day?

By evening, I had given up hope at finding my wishgivens. It was apparent that I was totally on my own.

"Granny!" I called as people gazed at me strangely in passing. I must have appeared as a sight in my blood stained wedding dress and shoes that were still oddly contorted from the crash. Lucas transformed my appearance to be that of derangement and it seemed that my youthful skin was giving in to the true age of over one hundred that I would have been if alive. Wrinkles arose as if a tractor were furrowing each and every row. My hair lost all youthful vibrancy and gray strands popped in all directions. Anyone who gazed in my direction quickly averted their eyes, the vision was not pretty since I was now an ancient hag.

The further I hiked, the more an overpowering sense of hunger fell upon me. "I'm in hell." I whispered finally understanding the power of the evil one.

Once the sun dipped past the horizon, I tried to locate a safe place to rest. Several public buildings refused my entry, so I was forced to take refuge in a train station on the corner of Randolph and Michigan Avenue. To my surprise, an entire underground walkway was present with storefronts and restaurants in every direction.

It wasn't until I noticed the South Shore Railway that an idea formulated within my mind. I darted to the ticket window and inquired as to the cost to the Indiana Dune Lake Shore.

It may as well have been a million dollars since I had no cash on hand. Genies simply did not have a need for money and I was penniless.

I noticed a police officer and I approached with caution.

"Excuse me sir." I said not recognizing the feebleness in my elderly voice. Every morsel of energy was slowly dissolving with each year I aged in fast forward.

The man turned and with a quick scan summed me up. "There are shelters on the other side of town. I think I have a card here for a free meal." The officer fished a business card from his pocket and transferred it to my hand. As he was about to stroll away, I said, "No sir, I need to get back to my family. I'm without cash, do you think you could loan me enough for a train ticket to Dune Park?"

"No ma'am. Even if I could, I won't. Your type is always the same. I hand you money and you run to the nearest liquor store to fix your craving. No ma'am I've learned my lesson a long time ago."

"Then go over there and buy me the ticket! I'm serious, I need to get to Three Corners. This is an emergency!"

The officer nodded his head then hesitantly moved to the ticket window. After a quick conversation with the ticket agent, he returned placing a small golden ticket into my hand.

"How old are you exactly, ninety?"

I shrugged my shoulders and replied, "twenty years old of course." The officer began to laugh. "Good joke. You'd better get a move on, the train is about to leave."

"How can I repay you sir?"

"Never you mind, just be careful and have a safe trip!"

I sat in the front of the electric coach as it headed away from the city. Lights from buildings and overhead fixtures flickered as the utility poles obstructed the rays as we passed.

The ride was smooth and for the first time in many years, I fell into a deep slumber. I was a child again running along the banks of Lake Michigan.
Sea gulls rose up in avoidance of being plowed over. I could almost hear the brush of water along the shoreline. My spirit was free and not a care in the world until an overpowering thunderstorm shadowed overhead. Except this storm had the most mesmerizing dark eyes that I had ever seen. I cowered down in a childlike way as the thunder roared, shaking the earth. Somehow I realized it was Lucas and he was coming after me. I could hear his voice as he whispered..."give it up Jeanne Wishgiven! You had your chance and now you are disintegrating. Say goodbye and take your lumps like the rest of them."

"Granny!" I called jolting awake again. Stares from other passengers fell upon me with sympathy.

"Just a dream!" I muttered as they returned their attention to reading or speaking amongst one another.

Dune Park was soon announced and to my surprise nothing was at all familiar. What did I expect since the early nineteen hundreds? I hurried from the train and interrupted a gentleman. He was fumbling with some keys as he headed towards a small green foreign automobile.

"Sir, can you tell me where Three Corner's Dune is located?"

"Certainly. It's about twenty miles north of here, just over the Michigan border."

"Are there any trains or busses from this point?"

"No. I could give you a lift if you needed it." He offered.

"That would be wonderful. What is your name sir?"

"Kevin, Kevin Wright."

"I'm Jeanne Wishgiven. I'm glad to make your acquaintance."

The young man assisted me into the automobile and I strapped on a holster seat belt.

"Any relation to Robert Wright?" I asked.

"Nope. Never heard of a Robert Wright before."

"Just thought I'd ask is all. I thought he might be a distant relative or something."

For most of the trip, conversation was lacking. As we pulled in past several sections of condominiums, Kevin parked along a public access road.

"The gate is closed at this time of night. Are you meeting someone?" He asked.

"Yes." I said not wishing to cause him concern. "He'll be along shortly. Thanks for going out of your way this evening son."

"No problem, I'm a church deacon and I'm always looking for ways to help the elderly." "I can stay a while if you like."

"No reason. I can look after myself."

"Well okay then." He said driving off.

It was disturbing to walk the vacant access road so late at night. The area had changed drastically through the years. The only remaining landmark was Three Corners itself.

My body was wearing out and I wondered what type of trick Lucas had played by imposing a human form on me. Everything about the hike was exhausting. When I finally reached the base of the great dune, I sank into the sand. The earth was still heated from the afternoon sun and the contrast to the night air was a relief to my tired bones.

After resting for a bit, I began the climb to the summit. A small fire was burning about midway up. As I approached, scratchy whispers fell away.

I hid in the shadows as both Adam and Robert re-materialized.

"As I was saying, I think we'd be better off joining Lucas' team. You should see his vacation packages...everything about the transfer would be to our benefit. You know," he said, "Elizabeth has all ready agreed."

"Are you sure about that? I can't imagine Lizzy switching sides... she is, after all, the team leader now."

Adam gave him a look of despair for commenting in such a way.

I slid out in plain view. Both men reflected shock at my presence in such an haggard form. I did not realize I was unrecognizable to them.

"Lizzy is not switching teams!" I said firmly.

Adam appeared surprised by this statement.

"Oh yeah? And how do you know so much?"

"Because I am Lizzy!"

After scanning my clothing, Robert hurried to his feet and placed his arm about my shoulder. "Lizzy?" He questioned.

"I need you to call Granny immediately. Lucas somehow intercepted my last transport and he tried to convince me to switch teams. I refused and he left me stranded in Chicago. It's taken all my energy to make it this far.. please hurry." I said collapsing to the ground. It felt as if someone had pulled the plug or my battery had just run out.

Voices trailed away twisting and contorting into an audible haze. The flames from the fire rose up and an image of Granny suddenly appeared within the dancing light.

"Elizabeth?" She managed shaking me awake.

I was now in the center of the island positioned on a wicker sofa and several elders surrounded me, their expressions were that of grave concern.

"Are you okay?" Granny asked, as I noticed my form was that of a twenty year old once again.

"I think so."

"We've looked everywhere for you dear. We believed you went AWOL for some reason."

"I wouldn't do that." I whispered.

"You were plenty upset about the entire Robert thing. Some genies can't accept the reality that relationships here are non-existent."

"I was whisked away into another dimension. A crafty being named Lucas wanted me to agree to a trade."

"Lucas?" Granny asked darting her gaze at the elders. There was a quick shimmer of fear about her expression until she returned her focus to me.

"Yes, that's right. He wanted me to agree and when I refused, he released me into the city of the living as a human."

"No wonder we couldn't track you. How did you know to get to Three Corners?"

"He claimed Adam had all ready switched and was going after Robert. I knew where Robert would be since he adores Three Corners. I did my best to follow."

There was whispering between the elders and two hurried off in the direction of the transport stations along the beach front.

"You did right. Thank goodness you weren't gone that long. If you would have aged any further, you would have died for a second time. Since no one in processing would have recognized you by your powers, you would have ended up in purgatory as Elizabeth Fenmore.....memory erased, our best genie removed permanently."

"Lucas is evil!" I exclaimed.

"He's the son of darkness." Granny said.

"Robert didn't switch teams did he?"

"No. Neither did Adam. In fact, that really wasn't Adam trying to sway Robert. Lucas has a team of terrors that can morph into any form that they choose. They pray on the innocent, especially human children. Unfortunately, you can never trust anyone by their appearance from this point forward. You're very lucky to have survived that encounter...you also managed to save Robert from him in the process."

"Now what?" I asked.

"We'll send you back out for more assignments once you recover. This time we'll use a different port tunnel, one secure from the powers of evil. Hopefully you will never encounter Lucas again!"

_________

By day three I had regained most of my strength and the prestigious glow returned to my hair. I hiked around the island several times regaining my energy that had somehow been sucked dry.

Robert appeared at my side during my third pass. He grinned at me with warmth.

"You know, this sort of reminiscent of another time I followed you along a beach."

"What?" I asked with surprise.

"Yes. It was when we first met. I believe you were about to be married to Donovan Winslow."

I gazed at him and he smiled sheepishly.

"I felt there was something special about you Lizzy. That kiss you plastered on me seemed so familiar. I took an extra week and returned to Three Corners after we last parted. It wasn't easy, but eventually it all came back."

"Does Granny realize that you remember?"

"No, and we must keep this between ourselves, otherwise they'll separate us." Robert said gazing suspiciously towards the travelers hurrying around us.

"What happened after the accident to my parents, to yourself?"

"I don't know about your parents since I crashed too. When I noticed the auto lunging forward, I hooked myself to the bumper in a feeble attempt to drag it to a stop. In that instant I made a decision, a decision to follow you regardless of death."

"Oh Robert." I whispered.

He grinned at me with a familiar warmth. "We're not supposed to have these feelings here, are we?"

"Some things can not be suppressed by death." I said.

"I suppose so. I want you to be very careful out there. You may have been successful at conquering ghosts, but Lucas is a by far, a stronger power. I have never heard of a Genie who has lived to tell about an encounter with him."
"Can I be honest with you?" I asked.

Robert nodded.

"For the first time since starting this genie thing, I'm actually terrified."

"As you should be, Lucas is not to be taken lightly. Just be careful, he found you once, he could find you again."

Robert stopped walking and pulled a watch from his pocket. "I'm afraid I must be off, there are people to help."

Robert paused before transport, his eyes locked with mine and my heart was filled with love.

"Thank you for following me Robert Wright."

He chuckled. "I would have preferred Florida to this, but it all worked out in the end."

"Keep the faith!" He said as he dissolved into thin air.