Wishful Thinking

Matt, Ed and Katherine traversed downwards into the caves under the Arabian desert on guide lines.

"So this is finally it," said Ed.

"And you doubted us!" replied Katherine.  She kissed her long time boy friend Matt but he pulled away distractedly, looking at the map.  "The old man in the market place with one eye wasn't lying to us.  I told you!"

"This way," said Matt.

"Yes Indy," joked Ed.

Katherine chuckled.

They went around the lake and then Matt lit the torch and the cavern lit up with light.

They all gasped.

There was a mountain of gold coins and at the top of the mountain was a green bottle, resting on a velvet cushion.

Eagerly they climbed.

Matt grabbed the bottle which was inscribed with Arabic letters.

"What does it say?" asked Matt.

He gave it to Katherine.

"To the holder of this bottle I grant one wish."

She looked under the bottom of the bottle where there was some other writing, decoding it.

"Mostly that's it.  You have to rub it."

Matt did so and the Genie appeared.

"Please tell me your wish, my master."

Matt thought about it for a minute.  "I've been thinking about this since we bought this map, so here it is.  I want to be the world's best judge of character."

"Your wish is my command," replied the Genie.

Matt then looked at Ed and Katherine.  The smile on his face was replaced with one of shock.

"Oh no," said Matt.

"What?" asked Ed.

"You're my best friend and you're secretly in love with me.  Why didn't you tell me you were gay Ed?"

Ed burst into tears.  "I couldn't tell you.  I wanted to be close to you.  Please forgive me!!!"

Matt then looked at Katherine.  "And you've been secretly in love with Ed all along.  That was the only reason you went out with me.  You always thought he was a better dresser than me and you made out with him right before we went on this trip but he said a friend wouldn't do that!  Katherine how could you!!!"

"But I fell in love with you later.  I was just infatuated with Ed."  She shrugged.

Matt just let out a cry, gave the bottle to Ed and ran off into the darkness.

Ed rubbed the bottle.  "No need to rub it again.  Just tell me your wish," said the genie slightly impatiently.

"I want to be the richest man in the world!" demanded Ed.

"Your bank account now has a billion trillion dollars!"  The Genie snapped his fingers.

"Yesssss!" shouted Ed.  "But first I've gotta find Matt"

He climbed down the mound of gold.

"Matt we're rich!!" shouted Ed.  "And I looooooove you!"

Katherine was left holding the bottle.

"And your wish?"

"Tell me what my future holds," she wiped a tear out of her eye.

"You and I will become great lovers.  The world will celebrate our love which will be greater than that of Cleopatra and Julius Ceasar."

"Really?" said Katherine.

The genie nodded and reached out his hand.

"I read all the writing on this bottle," explained Katherine.  "I'm not just some blond bimbo you know.  I can decipher ancient languages.  You want to know what word is on the bottom of this bottle?"

"Pray tell beautiful woman," said the genie.

"It says - fragile."

Katherine dropped the bottle on the ground and it smashed.  The genie cried out and disappeared in a flash, leaving only smoke.

All the gold in the cavern disappeared and was replaced by the bones of all the people who had made wishes in the cavern and later died there.

"You don't get out much do you?" she said  as the remains of the genie finally disappeared.  She climbed down the mound of bones.

"Guys! Wait up!" shouted Katherine.