CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR (Aladdin flash fiction!)

It's that time again-- time for another piece of fairytale-inspired flash fiction thanks to the ladies at Fairytale Central!

In case you forgot, Fairytale Central features a new fairytale every month, and Arielle posts a writing prompt inspired by that fairytale on her writing blog for us to work with! Last month was the super-fun Rapunzel prompt, and this month the fairytale is Aladdin!

Here's the prompt:

In the piece of flash fiction I wrote for last month's prompt, I introduced you all to Trentley and Jynnia: the MC's I will be using for all of these prompts that I participate in, and also the inspiration for a new book series that I will hopefully begin writing later this year. (But shh, don't let me start thinking about that yet!) I couldn't wait to force write these guys into different sticky situations inspired by different fairytales. I hope you guys enjoy my Aladdin story!

(note: Remember that while connected, these stories have no real bearing on each other. I'm just writing them for fun and while I'm using them as inspiration for the series I want to write later, there are plenty of plot holes and untold background information because I repeat: these are just for fun.)

      ***

 "Jynnia, it's a lamp!"
 Jynnia huffed and puffed, shifting her yards of thick brown hair to the other arm. She glared at Trentley as he sprinted back toward her, carrying a shiny object he had just retrieved from the creek they walked beside.
 "What are we supposed to do with that?" Jynnia said, eyeing the lamp.
 "You don't sound as enthusiastic as I'd hoped," Trentley said.
 Jynnia groaned and plopped down on the ground right where she stood, dropping her hair and sighing as she stretched her arms. "Sorry," she said. "Carrying around fifty pounds of hair does that to a person."
 Trentley sat down beside her on the ground, holding the lamp in front of her excitedly. "Jynnia, don't you understand? We can use this to get rid of your hair!"
 "You really think that thing will work?" Jynnia playfully pushed the lamp away and stared off in the other direction.
 "Jynnia." Trentley reached to take her chin between his fingers and gently turned her to look at him. When her eyes met his, he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
 She smiled and relaxed a bit, giving a short laugh. "Yeah, I guess if having Rapunzel hair for the past week has taught me anything, it's that strange things can happen."
 Trentley winked at her. "Now you're getting it. I'm rubbing this thing."
 Jynnia shifted in the grass to face Trentley. Something really awful could happen when he rubbed the lamp. Or, something really cool. Either way, she had a front-row seat.
 Trentley placed the lamp between them. They both stared at the object for a few seconds. Trentley inched his hand forward, then jumped back. Then he jumped forward, nearly bumping Jynnia's head with his in his hurry to rub the lamp before he could change his mind again.
 A great wind rose up from the mouth of the lamp, knocking Jynnia and Trentley onto their backs.
 "Trentley!" Jynnia cried in alarm.
 Trentley sat up. He did not have to look around to see what stood-- floated?-- directly in front of him.
 "So you've summoned me."
 The smoky, bluish-tinted figure wavered before them, thick arms crossed over a bare chest. The strange man's face sported a mustache and a sour expression.
 "Y-yes." Trentley scooted closer to Jynnia, not taking his eyes off him. "Are you a... genie?"
 "Of course I am. You rubbed the lamp, didn't you?" The genie held his hands up, an impatient look on his face. "So what is it you want?"
 Trentley and Jynnia shared a look of awe. "You mean we have three wishes?" Jynnia said.
 "I'm willing to take some away," the genie said in a warning tone.
 "O-okay," Trentley said. He glanced over at Jynnia and then back at the genie, swallowing and standing up. Jynnia stood beside him. "We wish to--"
 "Don't say take away my hair!" Jynnia hissed.
 "--We wish that Jynnia's hair would go back to its normal length."
 The genie lifted a sharp eyebrow and looked at Jynnia's hair as if noticing it for the first time. But he closed his eyes and clapped once. Something like a crash of thunder cracked the very air around them, making Trentley and Jynnia double over and cover their ears. But when it was silent again, they opened their eyes to see that the mass of hair was gone.
 Jynnia ran her hands through her short, messy, but natural locks. "Yes!" she cried. "Thank you!"
 Trentley breathed a sigh of relief. "All right, genie," he said. "Now for my second wish."
 The genie gave a slight bow as he awaited Trentley's request. Jynnia looked at him in surprise. They had barely had time to adjust to this one.
 Trentley glanced at her. "I want to know what happened back in that tower."
 "You have to say it in wish form," the genie said. "But I must warn you, you're dabbling in very sensitive magic. You were changed by this tower, yes? The wrong move could damage a lot more than just your pretty girl's hair."
 "We have to know," Jynnia said, taking Trentley's hand. They both ignored the fact that the genie seemed to know exactly what they were talking about. "There's something up with that tower and now there's a lamp with a genie in it."
 "Now that I know Jynnia's back to normal, I won't let this go," Trentley said. "Now, I wish to know what happened in the tower."
 The genie bowed and clapped again, and another great boom split the air. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an object fell to the ground between Trentley and Jynnia and the genie.
 Trentley hurried toward it.
 "Be careful, Trentley," Jynnia said.
 The genie watched him, his lips pressed into a thin line. "My dear boy, don't you know the old saying: If you are saved from the lion don't be greedy and hunt it?"
 Trentley stopped before bending to pick the thing up, and looked the genie straight in the eye. "But, dear genie, don't you know the saying: If a wind blows, ride it?"
 He grabbed the object, and was immediately thrown backward by the second rushing wind of the day.

  ***  

Whew! What have Trentley and Jynnia gotten themselves into now? Guess you'll have to wait until
next month to find out. ;D In the meantime, go write your own flash fiction based on the Aladdin prompt! Remember, you can find the prompt here.

What do you think the object is that fell from the sky? Is it going to help Trentley and Jynnia or get them into even deeper trouble? How would you cope having sixty-foot hair for a week? xD And has anybody seen the new Aladdin movie yet?? Because I'm so excited to watch it!!