Edenvile, a beautiful kingdom in England where I was born and raised. I have never left this place. I have always wanted to travel. Don't get me wrong I love my home. But, I can't help but feel as if there is something more out there than just marriage and babies. My father had encouraged me to travel. He was a scientist. His name was Professor James Utonium. My mother, Angelique Utonium, died giving birth to me. I was her only child. She named me Blossom.

Though growing up without a mother was hard, having abnormally pink eyes and bright red hair didn't help during my teenage years. My father did his best to raise me to be a Lady. But, he saw that his work, me and the estate was very hard to maintain by himself. So, he remarried. Her name was Victoria.

Three months later, father fell terribly ill. Doctors were coming in and out of the house. He was always weak and tired. He slept an awful lot. I barely got to see him. He died the week after. Victoria threw me out of my room and made me sleep with the cinders. Making room for her two daughters who had never made an appearance before. She sold all of my father's belongings, except his books which I hid away from her.

I was 12 years old then. Now, I am 18. Victoria is now looking for the nearest man to marry me off to. Then she would be rid of me. I am educated in most ways and have stayed untouched. For one day I know the prince will come and rescue me from this awful place and we will marry and I will be his.

"Hey Blossom, you done daydreaming?" I turned to be faced with Boomer. He was one of our horse men. He wore a smirk with his ocean blue eyes and uniform. I smiled back. "Boomer! When did you get back?"

"Just now. How have you been?" He asked as he entered the kitchen

"I have been better my friend… and so has Bubbles" I added. A blush appeared on his face. I couldn't help but laugh.

"It isn't funny blossom! I really like her ok"

"I know. I just can't imagine why."

"I know she can be difficult…"

"Difficult?"

"You know what I mean. But when it's just us. She's different" He smiled as if remembering an inside joke.

"I'd like to know how Victoria feels about this" He frowned

"She doesn't know. What are her moods like now?"

"Victoria has been oddly quiet these past few days"

"Yes well she must be very excited"

My eyebrows rose "Why would she be excited?" I asked as I put away the last plate. I turned to face him once more. His knowing smirk was on his face.

"The Prince is having a grand ball so he may choose a woman to marry, and everyone in the kingdom is invited. Including you." He said holding up 4 envelops.

My eyes almost fell out of their sockets. This will be the day I will finally meet the Prince. My mind started drifting off into images of me and the Prince dancing the night away.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Buttercup came running inside the kitchen. "The invitations to the ball are here!" She said grabbing an invitation from Boomer. Buttercup, her eldest daughter was beautiful. She had shoulder length jet black hair, and brilliant green eyes that matched her green dress. She had been rumored to have warmed the bed of many men in the kingdom, all of which were already married.

Bubbles stumbled after her sister."Let me see" She took one from Boomer, holding her gaze with his more than needed. Bubbles the second born, she had shoulder length golden hair that was in pigtails at the sides of her head. Her eyes were a calm and inviting sky blue on a cloudless day. They were both beautiful beyond compare.

Unfortunately, all their beauty went to waste with their were horrible girls. They fought amongst each other. They used foul language. They teased and belittled anything that moved. The refuse to work. So, I became the only maid in the house. I made their beds. I cooked their meals, and washed their clothes.

Oh why did Boomer have such bad taste. Well, Bubbles is much better than Buttercup. As Boomer said, she had her moments.

I took my own from Boomer. Before I could open it. It was snatched out of my hands. I looked up to see who had taken it, only to be face to face with Victoria. Her graying hair was pulled into its usual bun. Her wrinkles were becoming more visible making her scowl present itself boldly.

"You won't be needing this my dear"

"But, I was invited to the ball."

"And you also have things to do in this house. It's filthy"

'But, I have just cleaned it."

"I am not impressed. And after we are ready there will be a mess. You also need to go to the market and refresh our supplies"

"Victoria please. All I ask for is just one night for myself. I promise to have the house cleaned up tomorrow"

"I SAID NO CHILD!" She yelled and slapped my left cheek. "KNOW YOUR PLACE. I will not have a scullery maid in the presence of royalty. It would be an embarrassment! You WILL help Buttercup and Bubbles prepare for the ball and you will have scrubbed down this house"

She stormed out of the kitchen with a snickering Buttercup and a pained Bubbles. Boomer rushed to my side.

"Blossom are you ok?" he held me into a hug.

"I'm fine" I said allowing tears to wet my face. Now I can never leave this place. "I have to go" I loosened my hold on him.

"It'll be ok Blossom" I walked out of the kitchen heading to the cinders. I was stopped by a menacing voice." Oy! Blossom! You have to help me get dressed for the ball!" Buttercup said. I sighed walking up to her I followed her to her room.

I ran her bath. Put on the best oils and scents in the house. I helped her into her corset and dress. I washed and styled her hair as she teased and mocked me. Then they left. Leaving me to scrub down the house. I walked down into the cinders and grabbed the nearest scrubbing brush on the shelf, but I had the whole context of the shelf fall with it.

I sighed and picked up the stuff off the floor. Amongst them I found a lamp. It was old and dirty bronze. I remember my father telling me stories about the jinn. With the memories of my father in my head I realized the dampness on my cheeks. I was crying… again. I snatched a cloth from the floor, and started rubbing the lamp.

I rubbed and I rubbed. I rubbed until my hand began to cramp from the amount of pressure I was putting. I threw the cloth across the room and started studying the lamp. I didn't know what I was expecting. I knew that it was impossible, jinn's didn't exist. Watching my tears fall upon the lamp I found myself wishing they existed, wishing I had gone to the ball, wishing for my father…

"Who has summoned me?"

My eyes widened. I jumped to my feet and let out a scream

"Quiet woman!"

I obeyed. I found myself starring at a man dressed in Arabic Jinn attire. He had brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. I blinked taking in the image before me.

"Now, I shall ask again. Who summoned me?" I looked at the lamp in my hands

"It was you, wasn't it?" I nodded my head not trusting my voice to speak

"I am a jinn. Thank you for freeing me from that lamp. In return I shall grant you 3 wishes of your choice."

"Oh…"I said. His brow rose.

"So…are you going to start the wishing or what?" He asked

"Oh right, ummm…" I looked down onto my rags "I wish I could be look appropriate for a grant ball"

Almost immediately the rags turned into a beautiful golden gown. The silk and lace felt amazing feel on my skin. There was a jasmine scent in the air. Before I could ask what was giving off that wonderful smell. I realized it was me. I looked into my mirror. The person looking back at me was stunning. I couldn't believe it was actually me. My waist long red hair shined in the candle lit light of the room. My deep pink eyes were accentuated by the champagne eye shadow.

"This is beautiful, "I said "I wish I was at the ball" In a blink of an eye. I was in front of the palace doors. "Thank you Jinn" I walked into the palace and I couldn't believe my eyes. The floors were a creamy gold. The walls were a canary yellow. The ball room was filled with people. People were dancing, drinking, laughing, talking and eating.

My eyes ran over all the faces in the room searching for the Prince. Then, I spotted him. He was slouched on his thrown, watching the crowd from underneath his jet black hair. His eyes met mine and as if it was a reflex. He stood up and paced his way over to me. When he reached me, he took a hold of my hand and kissed it, his forest green eyes not losing contact with mine.

"May I have this dance Milady" he asked. I nodded in response. Then, a new song started. We danced along to the rhythm they played. "I have been waiting for someone like you to take me out of my boredom. All this people can talk to he about is politics."

"My lord, it can be entertaining to a certain level" I said

"In what world?" he mocked

"In the real world." I said. He smirked. Brushing my cheek with the back of his hand.

"It's a good thing you are beautiful, intellect in women isn't seen as a good value" the song ended. The crowd clapped their hands in praise. "Meet me outside by the fountain of cupid, I must tell you something" I blushed.

"Yes my lord" He smiled and walked to the thrown were his father was. I rushed to the fountain, too excited to hear what he had to tell me. When I got to the fountain I watched the cloudless night sky, looking at the moon. Jinn came to me out of nowhere.

"Are you having fun?" He asked sarcastically

"Yes, I am" I thought for a moment "If I use my last wish, what happens?"

"Well, I can roam free forever. Until someone bounds me to something"

"Ok…" I said "Can you bring back the dead?" he looked at me and smirked.

"I could try, but the price is high"

"I thought you owed me"

"But this goes against the gods, which I usually don't do"

"What is the price?"

"I don't know. All I know is that it's high" I watched him skeptically. I have to this… for papa "I wish my father could come back from the dead" The sky suddenly became filled with dark rain clouds filled the skies. There was a terrible wind, the air turned ice cold.

"Foolish human!" Jinn yelled with mirth. "No Jinn can give life! Now you will be punished! You will spend the rest of your life a Jinn, bound by this lamp until a human frees you!"

Everything went black afterwards. I woke up in a living room with an intricate Persian and Arabic design. The rich colours, the rugs, the book cases. Book cases? I rushed to them. The aisles seemed to go on forever. I grabbed the first book I saw "How to be a Jinn for dummies". I looked at the next one "The Jinn manual" I carried on until I could definitely say for sure. All these books were text books.

Suddenly realizing my fate I fell to my knees. I could feel the hot tears in my eyes, threatening to drop. But, I stopped myself. I wouldn't cry, not anymore. Not for the Prince, not for Victoria and not for father. I decided I would study and become a brilliant jinn as I wait for a human to free me I could only hope that the gods would let the Prince find be and free me. Taking a book from the shelf I sat on a Persian cushion. This will take forever…

11 April 2010

"Ey Brick! Where do you want this to go?" Roy asked.

"Just put it in the truck" I said."We need to get this stuff to the museum pronto "

I had just dug up a few artifacts for the British Natural History museum. I'm an archaeologist. Not something I want to do anymore though. But I guess since I'm the best at it, I can get paid and enjoy the rest of my life.

I got into the driver's seat of the truck and hooted. "Come on Roy! We need to get going". He climbed into the passenger seat.

"Ok ok! Keep your panties on boss"

I rolled my eyes and started the engine.

"So I'm going to ask Dr Moore for some vacation time. It's Boomer's birthday in a week and a half you know."

"Hmm… I'm coming too" Roy said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember inviting you"

"It's called being an uninvited guest. Plus, Butch is probably going to be there and that man can throw a party"

"Well, I'm leaving today so how are you going to get a plane ticket so soon?"

"I have my sources", Roy pulled out a joint and lit it. I scrunched up my nose at the smell.

"Put that shit out Roy. You can't do that we're still doing a job here"

"We're practically done man. I mean, in about 3 hours we'll be in the museum handing over the goods."

"Yeah and until then we're still on the job." I said grabbing the joint and throwing it out the window.

"Fuck Brick. Now how am I going to pass time in this shithole?"

"We could switch on the radio or play I spy" I said. He gave me a hard glare. I couldn't hold in my mirth any longer. I just broke out laughing. This would definitely be a good day.

3 hours later

We entered the museum it was grand. I have been coming here for a long time and I still wasn't use to how amazing it was. It had a lot of red, golds and creams on the walls. Before, I could admire any more of the museum. I heard someone call out.

"Brick my boy, I see you've brought a few things for me" Dr Moore said. He owned the museum.

"Yes sir. I had Roy take it to the store room"

"Oh good, I'll make sure you get your payment tomorrow. See you soon"

"Actually sir, I was wondering if I could have a few weeks off. Roy and I are going back to America."

"America ey? Well, you are ahead of schedule. So I guess it wouldn't hurt, but only for 3 weeks."

"Thank you so much sir"

"When are you two leaving?"

"Today"

"So soon?"

"I had a feeling you'd say yes"