Joey walked along the beach, feeling the moist sand wrap around his feet with each step. He hadn't been here since he was a child, bringing his nearly-blind sister here in the hopes of giving her one last memorable sight.
Lost in thought, he failed to notice the etched bottle in his path until he stumbled over it. Wiping the sandy paste from his face with his shirt, Joey picked up the bottle and cleaned it off.
The bottle shook, and purple steam began to wisp from the bottle's opening. The smoke slowly coalesced into a purple being.
"What is it you wish, my master?"
The blond was in shock. Did this creature really just call him "master"? Suddenly, he realized what he was holding. He'd heard of these creatures in stories. Djinn granted wishes to those who freed them from their bottle.
He had the power at that very moment to fix so many things. He could save his sister's sight. He could put his family back together. He could improve his friends' lives. So much power, the teen wasn't entirely sure what to do.
The Djinn waited patiently.
Joey then thought about the stories he'd heard. Wishes granted by Djinn rarely worked out for the wisher. How would he feel if he wished for something that cost him or someone he loved dearly?
Looking toward the bottle in his hand, Joey noticed a cork near his feet. The tide must have washed it ashore. He picked it up and rolled it between his fingers. Could he wish a better life for his friends?
His attention turned to the Djinn. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I wish for you to go back in the bottle." The creature looked shocked, but meekly complied. Joey corked the bottle and threw it into the ocean.
"If I'm going to help my sister and my friends, then I'm going to do it honestly, with hard work." He whistled a light tune as he made his way down the beach.