Summer 1988

"God it's so hot today!"

Pushing a shovel into the dirt, ripping off one of his cloves and wiping the sweat from the back of his neck, an 18 year old Daniel White, winced at the burn he felt from reaching back to touch his skin. His shoulders turning a deep red.

"Hurry up over there boy! I wanna have this tank out in and that hole dug by supper!"

Just about twenty feet away was his father Leo, moving chopped logs over to the bed of the pickup truck. Wearing a hat to keep him shaded and cool from the sun.

"Yeah Pa! I'm doing it." Daniel shouted over his shoulder.

This is how he was spending his summer, doing what he'd been doing his whole life. Working with his father. Instead of being off somewhere enjoying his new found freedom he was here.

Daniel had just graduated from high school, class of 88'! The beginning of his adult life. He was a good kid growing up, stayed in school, played baseball and basketball. He was good too! Was tall as hell, smart as hell, a fine young man. But that all pretty much meant nothing.

It all came down to money. Money for school. Money for the farm. Money for Mary and her competitions. Money for Mama and her medicines. They weren't poor but they weren't rich that's for sure. He had a few scholarships roll in but it still wasn't enough to get him where he wanted to go. He father owned the land thanks to his grandfather but that meant having something big to take care off.

That meant hiring farmhands to help keep it up and running but that meant having to pay them and they didn't have the money for that either.

So that meant, he was here. Because his family needed him. He was here no matter how many times he and his father fought. He was here.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel inched the dirty glove back on his hand and picked up the shovel to get back to work. His father had decided today of all days that they needed a new spot to put the horses water tank. Which meant he had to dig out a spot in the brush.

He thought he'd found a decent enough spot, wasn't too far from the stable and just near a tree so they could sit near the shade if they wanted. But one of the new foals, Boots, he likes to move the damn tanks.

Mary had named him Boots, cause as soon as he was was born it looked like he had a pair of boots on. It was cute. But as cute as he was Boots was growing up to be a little asshole.

Which meant Daniel had to dig a hole that wasn't too deep but just far enough that the little trouble maker couldn't have the water spilling out of the tank before it was even lunch time.

Digging the shovel down into the dirt, Daniel grunted as he pushed it in and down with his heavy boot. Pulling it out and shucking the dirt off to the side. Then he did it all over again and again and again and again and again and until he heard a hard:

Clink*

"Huh?" Breathing hard he grunted as his muscles strained against the force stopping his shovel.

Stumbling back a step as he was thrown off his rhythm, Daniel's breath was quick as he wiped his brow looking down at the ground. Squatting down he reached out and touched the spot again with finger. Sure enough there was something there, some hard.

Using his glove he went about dusting the dirt away as much as he could before he saw…

"Holy Shit." Daniel awed as something gold twinkled in his eye. He started to laugh almost maniacally as he dug around the shape in the dirt only more gold starting to show from his efforts.

He was laughing from glee at his discovery, throwing rocks over his shoulder and sending dirt flying. The object seemed to be ever ending, the dirt never ending until finally what looked like a handle started to show.

"Come to Daddy." Daniel wrapped his fingers around the mysterious object and went to pull but it just wouldn't budge. "Oh come on now."

Huffing as he stood up to bend over and grab at the handle again, he tugged and tugged so hard he thought his fingers might lose their circulation. He hiked his foot up on the edge of the hole he'd been digging band pulled back hard again and again and again!

Until it finally broke free.

"Oh shit!" Daniel tried to catch himself as he fell back but couldn't catch himself in time.

"Ouch."

Daniel winced as he fell back on some rocks but luckily hadn't hit his head too hard. Breathing heavy as he sat up, he winced but opened his eyes to see gold in his right hand.

"What the hell?" Daniel whispered to himself as he examined none other than "A lamp?"

A golden lamp. Shining bright as if it was just made and still completely intact. Turning it over in his gloved hands, Daniel examined it.

"What were you doing buried all the way out here?" He whispered and gasped nearly dropping it as it started to shake.

"Daniel! Boy! You better be nearly finished over there!"

Quickly taking the flannel he had wrapped around his waist, he wrapped the lamp up and scurried out of the hole.

"Yeah Pa! I'm just just about done!" He screamed back as he quickly straightened up and ran off toward the house.

"Where are you going?" Leo yelled.

"Uh I-" Daniel stammered as he ran toward the back porch like his ass was on fire. "I gotta use the John! I'll be right back."

Yanking his gloves off as he ran, he threw them down near the stairs of the back porch and took them two at a time.

"Oh no! No! Dan your boots."

His mother Eva quickly stopped him at the screen door, as he tried to push through.

"Mama I gotta-"

"You are not dragging those filthy things through my clean house Daniel White!"

Grunting as he quickly used one foot to shuck his boot off and then the other with his sock covered foot. He quickly placed the boots near the door and turned to show his mother he was dirt free.

"Alright I'm good now! I'm good!"

"What's got you in such a hurry?" Eva questioned as she let him in.

"I just have to use the bathroom!" He shouted as he ran through the house nearly knocking over his sister as he passed her on the stairs.

"Do you want something to drink?" Eva said after him. "You're all red. Your father needs to wrap it up."

"No thank you! I'm fi-Oh!" Daniel caught the bundle in his arms as he stumbled.

"Daniel! Be careful!" 15 year old Mary-Margaret yelled to his back as he zoomed by almost knocking the laundry out of her arms.

"My bad!" He yelled back as he raced up the second stairs to the third floor to his room.

Quickly but softly shutting his door, Daniel placed shirt covered the lamp down on his bed before turning back to grab his desk chair and put it up against the door. Just in case.

"Oh God."

Taking in his room, he folded over to brace himself on his knees as he took many quick breaths. Maybe he should've said yes to that drink his mother offered. Moving to the bathroom that connected to his room he quickly turned the faucet on and stuck his head under it.

Sighing in relief as the cool liquid ran through the back of his hair, he let it run for a few seconds before turning his face up to take a drink and quench his thirst. Doing that until his started to cough, he turned the faucet off and grabbed the towel from the back of his door.

Wiping his face and neck off, he moved back into his room looking down at the bundle on his bed. Stepping forward, he tossed the towel over near his pillow before turning to start slowly peeling back the flannel.

Just like outside the gold shined as he moved the shirt to reveal more of the lamp. The curtains on the window were pulled back, letting in some sunlight and the lamp nearly lit up his room in gold.

Kneeling in front of his bed, Daniel took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves.

"Maybe I can sell it." Daniel said to himself as he watched the sun reflecting off the lamp. "Oh! Maybe there's more down there."

He muttered as he reached out to touch it, quickly pulling his hand back as it started to move again.

"A little critter probably made this their home. Duh Dan." He chided himself before grabbing an empty shoes box from under his bed and picking the lamp up.

Turning it over so spout was over the box he started to shake the lamp. He was hearing something clicking around inside but nothing fell out except a couple rocks and more dirt. He started to shake it harder and harder until he squealed tossing it back onto his bed.

"Please stop shaking me!"

Staring wide eyed at the lamp, he quickly moved back a few feet. He looked around his room, there was no one there with him. He looked back down at the lamp as he inched his was toward the bed. Picking up a bat he had on the floor, that his mother has been yelling at him about to put up.

He held it up as he got closer, he was just two feet away when it started to shake again on its own. Letting out a tiny shriek again he stepped back.

"Is anyone out there?"

Daniel's mouth fell open as he heard the squeaky voice again.

"I-I'm h-" at a loss for words Daniel just stared down at the object on his bed.

"I would really appreciate it if you got me out of here!" The voice said again.

Closing his mouth and walking back to the, he took a knee again in front of the lamp and arms length distance away.

"Are you still there?" The tiny voice screamed out.

"I-" Hearing the octave his voice was still at Daniel quickly cleared his throat. "I'm still here."

"Oh thank the gods!" The tiny voice sounded relieved. "Listen can you get me out of here?"

But Daniel remained quiet for a few minute.

"Hello?"

"I-I don't know how." Daniel admitted as he stared down at the lamp.

"What is your name sir?" The voice was definitely coming from the lamp he couldn't deny that.

"Um. D-Daniel. My name is Daniel."

"Well Mister Daniel…What you have there is a lamp. And it is certainly a mess in here after the shaking you put me through in my home."

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't know." Daniel winced as his eyes focused in on the spout.

"Oh it's alright. But maybe…Mister Daniel?"

"Yes?" He whispered back.

"I'm just dying to get out of here…and to do that all you have to do is rub the lamp. Do you believe you can do that for me?" The voice asked.

"Rub the lamp? That's all?"

"That's all."

"But…Why are you in there? W-Who put you in there?" Daniel asked as he picked it up.

"A sorcerer." It replied

"A sorcer-. Like magic?!" Daniel gaped.

"Yes like magic. Magic has always existed for us this should not be a shock sir." The voice laughed. "Now will you please get me out of here?!"

"Hey!" Daniel quickly caught the lamp with his other hand. "Would you stop moving around so much."

"I would really like to get out of this lamp!"

"Alright! Alright! But I don't understand what rubbing it will do."

"Rub the lamp sir!"

The voice was bossy, Daniel rolled his eyes as he tried to pull the lid up off of the thing but it just wouldn't budge. He felt his hands start to sweat from his efforts so he rubbed them on his pants before trying again.

"But you're in it! How the hell-" Daniel grunted. "Do I get you out?! It won't open-"

Maybe there's another opening on the bottom. As he struggled, Daniel went to rub the side of the lamp wiping away the remaining dirt.

"YESSS!"

Daniel let the lamp fall to the bed as it began to shake more vigorously. He watched as a deep purple light started moving around in the lamp really fast. Around and out the spout until a big purple ball came shooting out of it. It traveled all around his room so fast he barely had a chance to stop it.

Moving quick on his feet, Daniel scooped up the sheet from his bed and jumped up to catch the ball before it caused anymore damage to his room.

Falling back in the bed, Daniel felt the air leave his chest as a weight fell down on top of him.

"Daniel Solomon White! What're you doing up there?!" Eva looked up at the ceiling from her reading on the couch.

"Nothing Mama!" Daniel yelled. "I'm fine!"

Feeling the weight lift off his chest but settle in his lap, Daniel caught his breath and watched as the sheet was removed from over someone else's head. It was like he was watching he all in slow motion.

A hand came up, sporting a thick gold cuff at the wrist to move a head full of brown locks back from over their face.

"Wow. You're a girl." Daniel said out loud.

The girl, the voice, just laughed and smiled back at him. The most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life. Her lips were painted pink. She looked no older than he was.

"Thank you for releasing me from the lamp."The voice it wasn't squeaky anymore, but sultry and soft with a little rasp to it. "A thousand years spent in there can really give bring you down."

"Y-you're welcome." Daniel gulped watching as she stretched out her neck and shoulders. "Wait a thousand years?! What-what even are you?!"

She smirked at him.

"I…am. A woman. A man. Whatever you wish for me to be. I can be."

Her eyes. A fiery amber brown were racking over him and his deep ocean blue eyes did the same. She was still in his lap. Wearing a nearly sheer black dress that dipped very low and gold jewelry. She has markings, tattoos, all over her arms and torso.

"Whatever I wish?" He kept his hands to himself but dammit she was still in his lap! He looked up and he could have sworn he saw her eyes glow purple.

She was still in his lap. The girl. The woman. She leaned over him, the hair she just swooped back falling down around them as she spoke to him again.

"Daniel, right?"

"Y-yes?"

"Well. Mister Daniel." She sang. Incredibly close to him now breathing in the same breath. As her fiery eyes mapped out his face.

"What will your pleasure be?"