My ruby had been activated and I smiled. These foolish mortals never learned. As I appeared I was shocked by who held it. It was a young child. I watched as the child put the ruby in it's mouth.

The child seemed to realize that it wasn't food. So then they took the ruby out of it's mouth and proceeded to bang it on the floor. I heard a small cracking sound come from my gem. I couldn't help but smile slightly but it soon faded. I watched as the child's mother awoke a snarl on her face.

"You good for nothing little brat?!!! Do you realize what you could have done?!" The mother screamed at the poor child who let out a slight whimper and winced as if she were afraid that she was going to get hit.

"This is Not a toy!" The mother hissed at the child as she shoves her to the ground. "Your a unwanted unloved burden. I wish to god you had never been born!"  She sneered at the poor child.

"Oh hell no! Hell itself would freeze over before I'd ever grant a wish like that." I stood there stunned for a moment. Had I really just said that? What was wrong with me? Normally I would grant a wish without a second thought but for the first time in my immortal life I found myself not only unable to fulfill said wish I was also unwilling to grant it.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"I can't bring myself to grant that woman's wish."

"Why not? It's not like you haven't granted that wish before."

"Our laws concerning this issue are absolute. If a Djinn refuses to grant a wish then they will be stripped of their powers and be given eternal torment worse then the souls that have been collected." Another Djinn warned me.

"Therein lies the problem. You see, the woman wasn't the one responsible for my awakening. Her child was the one who activated my gemstone. If I were to grant the woman's request not only would I be doing harm to the one who awoken me I'd be leaving it up to chance that my gem might or might not be activated again."

"Then you have your answer. So this woman likes to intimidate and bully helpless children does she?"

I nod. "Then perhaps you should make her torment excruciatingly painful."

"It's showtime." I said with a smile as I take the form of one of the humans I've been before.

I knocked on the front door and it's soon opened by a fairly young woman. "Can I help you?"

"Actually, it is I who can help you. What is it that you wish? What is it that you desire the most in this world? Money? Fame? A desire remain beautiful forever?"

The woman scoffed. "I want all of those options and more. I want to be as rich as Midas, as beautiful as Queen Grimhilde and I want to be remembered and immortalized throughout all time."

"Done."

"Yeah right. Sure. Your crazy you know that?"

"Am I?" I replied with a wave of my hand the tv turned on a bulletin appearing on the screen. "Wanted for questioning in connection to several brutal murders."

The woman's face turned pale "this isn't what I wanted."

"You should learn to word your wishes more carefully. You should easily be able to avoid arrest and jail time. After all, they say money talks."

"I don't have that kind of money."

"Sure you do. After all, You did wish for the Midas touch." I replied a mirror appearing before us. "Go ahead, touch it." The woman rolled her eyes sarcastically and scoffed but did as I had instructed. Imminently the mirror turned to complete gold.

"Mirror Mirror on the wall who is the fairest one of all."

"For the mirror to answer you, you must first touch your reflection." I whisper in her ear.

She a does as I instruct and immediately becomes one with the mirror her soul entrapped within the mirror itself. Her face contorted forever into a silent scream.

"Yes." I replied practically purring in satisfaction. 

I approach the father who sits up in a daze. "Oh my head..."He groans. He sees me and frowns. "Who are you? How did you get in here? Where's my wife?"

"Nathaniel Demerest at your service."

"So,  Mr. Demerest."

"Call me Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel. What are you doing in my house?"

"Your wife invited me in."

The man swears under his breath. "How many times must I tell her to never invite male company in the house when I'm home." The man states as he his glares at me.

"I can assure you, my visit was only a business transaction. You see, she had something that belongs to me and I wanted it back. In exchange I'd give her anything her heart desired."

"What would she have that is so valuable that it merits a visit to our home?"

"This." The Djinn replies holding out his hand to reveal a beautiful ruby.

"What exactly did you give my wife in order to obtain such a valuable ruby?" The man states poring himself a drink.

"She wished to be as rich as Midas, as beautiful as Queen Grimhilde and to be remembered and immortalized throughout all time." The man sighs his eyes filled with sadness.

"She always has yearned for things out of her reach. She has always blamed our sweet little Angel for her not having what she truly desires."

"Sometimes I wish...."

"Yes?"

The man shakes his head. "Never mind. I can't wish that I had never married that evil woman because then I'd loose my sweet little Angel. My life wouldn't be worth living without her. Speaking of my little Angel where is she?"

"She's safe, at least for the moment anyway." I reply with a slight smile.

This made my life a little easier as now I wouldn't have to look for a new face. His face was very similar to my original one which pleased me. I gently picked the small child up attempting not to awaken her to no prevail.

She awoke with a slight whine. Then She looks up at me in confusion and begins then grabs the pan off the stove hitting me on the head with it.

"Ouch!" I frown down at the child in my arms. "Cut that out!"

"Not de dada!" She replies and again begins to wail the sound was heartbreaking even for an evil creature such as myself. 

I groan this is becoming tiresome. Irritated I unintentionally reveal my true face and immediately the child stops crying.

Changing my face back to that of the child's father she once again begins to cry. Once I return to my normal Djinn form she the tears and wailing stop and she coos. What a strange little human. I go to grab my gem but the little one grabs if first . "Mine."

"Give it back daddy little one."

This time I don't argue with the child I simply hold out my hand.

The child held my gem away from me  the child giving me big sad eyes. However, eventually she gave me the gem.

"That's a  good little girl."

The child looked over at the mirror where her mother was now trapped and her father then up at me with curiosity in her eyes. "We family now?"

"Is that what you wish?"

"Wish?"

"Yes child. You awoke me. You freed me from that which I was imprisoned. I must grant you anything you desire. Three wishes to be exact."