Chapter 1: Introduction
The attic in my grandparents' place hadn't changed much since I was a kid. Spider webs danced in the corners, and sunlight struggled to get through the dusty windows. And yet, that dim, cobwebby space had always felt nice and cozy to me. It was just a matter of knowing the right corners to nestle in, while tuning out the familiar creaks and groans of old timber.
That's where I found the lamp. It looked old, dusty, but there was a certain allure to it that drew me. I tried to brush the dust off and clean it a little, but it started shaking and rumbling, and suddenly a purple mist shot out of the end!
I have to admit, I was fucking terrified at first. I dropped it, and it rolled to the corner of the room, hissing as the mist thinned out.
As it dissipated, an astonishingly gorgeous figure began to take form—it was a fucking stunning woman in a flowing, see-through robe, leaving very little to the imagination. "Thank you for freeing me, Matt Thompson." Her voice, sultry and captivating, resonated in the hollow attic.
"I am the Genie of the lamp, and I owe you three wishes. Now, what is your first request, Matt?"
"H-holy shit! You're a, like, actual genie?" The sight, sound, and presence of the Genie rendered me speechless, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Indeed," she replied, smiling.
"Then, I wish to become a successful TikToker."
The Genie raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "As a Goth e-girl?"
I blinked. "What?