No Magic Fixes – Part 2

After my morning reading, I decide it’s time to tackle some larger projects. The backyard has been overtaken by weeds, so I start there. I trim back the worst areas with a weed-eater, then yank the rest out from around my flowers with rapid intensity. I marvel at the garbage bags full of trimmings as I race them to the dumpster. 

I rinse off with a cool shower, then dry my hair at a frustratingly normal pace. I still want to clean out my closet before dinner.

I sort through my clothes, dumping them in toss or keep piles, in a matter of minutes, forcing myself to make rapid-fire decisions to keep up with my movements. I grab the step ladder to start pulling everything down from the shelves, panting heavily by the end. I toss, move, and reorganize everything into an orderly fashion. By the time I slide the last item into place, my head pounds and my breathing is shallow. 

What is wrong with me? I think before my vision narrows and fades to black.

…

I wake on my closet floor. I sit upright and rub my head, feeling a knot. It throbs a bit at my touch. I must have passed out. I carefully stand and walk to my bed. There’s no light from outside the windows, and I check the time. 3:34am.

I’ve been knocked out for half a day! What is going on? 

I sit on my bed and contemplate whether to try to go back to sleep or make some coffee and accomplish more tasks. Or maybe I should see a doctor, I think with a wince as my head pounds. 

No, I can’t explain what’s going on to a doctor. I need to ask the one who gave me this power…but I don’t know how. 

“Djinni! Hello?” I call out, feeling silly. 

But a golden shimmer fills the air, and the Djinni appears.

“Why, hello,” he responds. “How can I be of service?”

“What’s wrong with me? I passed out and hit my head.”

“Oh,” he says with a chuckle. “I forgot to mention one tiny detail.”

I glare at him. 

“While you can do things faster, the energy requirement is still the same.” He shrugs sheepishly. “You’ll need to make sure to take frequent breaks for food and rest if you attempt to do anything taxing.”

“I wasted half a day sleeping on my closet floor! What’s the point of this ability if I end up losing all the time I’ve gained?” I rub my head again. “And it seems dangerous to over-extend myself like that.”

“Quite right,” the Djinni says. “But that’s for you to decide. I only granted your wish, as you asked. My job is done.”

I scoff. “Some Djinni you are.”

“Well, my dear, there are no magic fixes,” he replies with a twinkle in his eye, before disappearing in a rain of sparkles.

…

What did you think of the story? Do you sometimes wish there were magic fixes? Let us know in the comments! 

Thanks so much for reading! 

-Clever & WTF