Phil Wheeler

Henry sat silently in his recliner, trying hard to not listen to his mother-in-law's utterances to his wife. He needed a walk.

Walking slowly along the beach his mind was preoccupied in his simmering anger, so he didn't see the object half-buried in the sand. He tripped. Looking back at whatever it was that had caused him to fall, he saw an old-looking lamp. It had a rounded midsection and bell-like base, and there was a small top covering an opening in the middle. The handle was curved, reminding him of the outline of an ear, and the spout was long and slender, protruding up and out like the neck of a swan. It looked just like the lamp in every movie about Aladdin that he'd ever seen. He absentmindedly rubbed at it with his sleeve.

Suddenly, the lamp flew from his hands, smoke began to bellow out of the spout, and he stared in amazement as a large, seemingly naked, man appeared in the cloud.

“Master, I am yours to command.” came the baritone voice, “What is your wish?”