The Cabin - Chapter 14: Steve's Crisis (Patreon)

Bethany could not squeal with delight or jump for joy or do back flips of adrenaline-fueled happiness. But she imagined she was doing these things. Donnie had just turned her into a mannequin for the first time and it was exactly as she imagined and better. She was never as good as Amanda at standing still: too much nervous energy.

Her glee jumped threefold as she saw Donnie create her two sister mannequins. “Oh, I can't wait to remerge and share this experience with them. Maybe Donnie will let me sixty-nine myself. If I could lick my own pussy, I could die. I wonder if the other mes are thinking the same thing. Maybe they have even better ideas. I can't stand not knowing.”

Her inner dialog ran in circles between wondering what Don would do next and thinking everything he did was just so awesome. She had no idea how much time passed but once he had finished dressing two of the Amanda mannequins he pulled her toward the bed, the only place he could sit in the room.

She heard a loud click and was suddenly disoriented. He had removed her head. She was momentarily dizzied as he spun her head around until she faced him. He spoke, “I've done this with Amanda and I'm sure you will like even more.”

“What was he going to do?” She felt something on her face change. “What did he do to me?” She wondered. Suddenly she was dropping onto the bed. She heard him stand up but could not see what he was doing. In a moment, the bed moved under her and she started rolling. She turned a half revolution before stopping, she was looking up. She figured based on what she could see: Donnie's upper body from below his chin, that he had sat back down on the bed and she had rolled up against his thigh.

He was shaking the bed a little, occasionally she could see his elbow moving rigorously. “He's jerking off,” she realized. After about five minutes, he picked up her head and turned it around. When the room stopped spinning she saw he was naked and erect. She had once had a dream like this. Her head lowered down onto he waiting cock. “Oh, yes,” she squealed in her mind. It slid deep into her head. It felt amazing to Bethany. Had he actually made sure the opening in her head provided her pleasure or was it she who had done it, she wondered.

She could not close her eyes so as he fucked her inanimate head she was treated to the jumpy, jarring visual of his crotch moving near and far rapidly. She enjoyed every second of it including the feeling of her nose smacking into his crotch.

Somehow she could hear noises in the distance. Another more alive woman was apparently enjoying some great sex. Bethany could tell the noise was bothering Donnie. He liked a quiet bedroom, even during sex. Without warning Bethany's head was off his cock and laying on the bed. She heard him get off the bed in a huff and a sheet fell over her head.

Don muttered, “Why can't that man--” And time stopped.

* * *

“--keep his woman quiet?”

Don left his room and stormed into Josh and Alex's room. He did a double take when he found Carol and Steve standing next to the bed fucking. “Steve, you should have taken her both ways while you had the chance,” he explained.

He considered fucking Carol's mouth but decided that was crossing a line. Her first blowjob should be initiated by her. Of course, her first gagging should probably also be consensual but he did not consider that. He produced a white handkerchief, folded it flat in four layers and poked it into her mouth. Next he produced a rubber ball gag trainer. He pulled her jaw open wide and pushed the gag in past her teeth. He closed her jaw around the ball. The straps went under her chin, around her eyes and over the top of her head. He straightened the straps and tightened them snug. Next he produced a mini-padlock with key, and locked the padlock through the small d-ring in the back of the gag.

He created a jewelry chain and threaded the small key onto it. He placed the chain around Steve's neck. As angry as he had been, he did not want to be a total jerk to Carol. He looked at her head again and realized that when she went to try to take the gag off she might freak out. He produced a pair of handcuffs and pulled her arms behind her back. He locked her wrists in the handcuffs so she would not realize the gag was locked too. He added the key to the chain around Steve's neck.

He left the room and wondered around the apartment. He could not find Josh and Alex. He summoned a key to Steve and Jesse's room and entered. Steve was keeping Jesse quiet in this room, such an exotic look she was wearing. Why wasn't he doing so upstairs? Don wondered. There were other Steves around apparently waiting their turns. He pulled the back Steve off Jesse and plunged his dick into her messy pussy. He wondered how many Steves had already fucked her. This did not deter him from taking out his frustration on her cunt.

Having satisfied his lust, he put the Steve back inside her and returned to his room. He resumed the flow of time. He looked at Bethany's head on the bed. He picked it up and wished for a stand it could sit on. He placed the stand on the dresser and placed the head so she could see the room. “Your mouth is perfect and I don't want to change it.” He explained as he walked over to that Bethany's body. He removed its arms and summoned a sport t-shirt. It slide down onto the armless mannequin easily. He reattached the arms. He summoned a wrap around skirt and placed it on the mannequin. He stepped over to a second Bethany and said, “I need a Bethany head just like the one on this mannequin.” It appeared in his hand. He placed on the first Bethany mannequin.

Bethany could not believe what she just saw. “Could that Bethany be reanimated? What would happen to me?” she wondered. “This is awesome. Maybe he would leave me as a mannequin head forever just so he could fuck my face any time he wanted.” She squealed. “How did Donnie silence the woman having sex?”

* * *

Alex discovered the real value of a tail fin. With her tail fin her entire body could push forward and with her arms she could push backward quickly. She did not need to move her neck up and down on Josh's cock. She moved her mouth forward and backward by moving her whole body forward and backward.

Josh was basically pinned against a rock with a half-human, half-fish body bobbing back and forth on his cock. The tightness of her throat combined with the exotic circumstances made short work of his cock. The swallowing action as he came was incredible. Women should have been built to breath some other way, he thought.

Alex surfaced shooting a stream of water out of her mouth. “Never washed my mouth out after oral sex so quickly,” she joked. Her voice sounded lower than normal and somewhat hissy.

Josh looked up at the grotto wall. “There's a pair of hikers up on the cliff. This late in the afternoon, the shadows of these trees should mask our presence here.” As he finished the sentence, Alex was gone.

She splashed up onto a rock in the center of the pond, sunning herself. She fanned herself with her tail fin.

“Oh, boy,” Josh said. He saw the first hiker look down into grotto. Josh read his mind. It took the man but a few seconds to notice the beautiful topless mermaid sunning herself on a rock in her own secluded grotto.

The man called out to a buddy and pointed down into the grotto. The buddy looked down in shock. Alex turned and looked up following Josh's gaze. When she spotted the two hikers, she crossed her arms over her chest and dove under water, making sure to splash the water surface with her tail before descending.

The two man argued for several minutes to Josh's amusement. Alex came to the surface near Josh and asked, “What are they saying? The waterfall is too loud to hear them.”

“The one guy wanted to dive in after you from up there and they debated if it was too high for a moment. Then they discussed whether your tail was a costume or not. I think they are settling on costume but they did head off to find a way down here. We should get going.” Josh climbed out of the pond and held out a hand for her.

Alex took his hand a climbed out of pond. “Whoa,” she said stumbling. “I need to get my land legs back.” A towel appeared in her hand and she handed it to Josh. She then created another towel to dry herself off.

Josh laughed as he toweled off. They retrieved their clothes and got dressed. Josh turned around and the picnic blanket was gone. “Where's...?”

“I summoned it to the laundry room in the cabin.”

“Clever,” Josh said giving her a short kiss. He took her hand and they walked back to the cabin.

“I'm starving,” Alex commented. “I guess changing into a fish is taxing on my metabolism.”

“We'll make dinner when we get back,” Josh said. “I wonder what mischief the others have gotten into.”

When they arrived at the cabin, the main room was empty. Josh took a step toward the stairs and called out, “Alex and I are going to start dinner. It should be ready in half an hour.”

“Smooth,” Alex said as they went to the kitchen. “Thankfully, the kitchen is also empty.”

“We haven't cooked together since Friday night,” Josh noted.

“I'm not making any bets with a mind reader.”

Steve entered the kitchen carefully. “Nobody's naked in here right?”

“Not yet,” Alex quipped. She dropped the joking demeanor when she saw the way Steve looked. Had his dog died? “Steve? What's wrong?”

Steve crossed the room and sat down at the table. “What isn't wrong?”

“Start at the beginning,” Josh suggested. He continued prepping dinner at the counter as Alex sat down next to Steve. “Is Carol having trouble adjusting?”

Steve looked at Josh for a moment and then laughed. “Actually, she was having trouble, though at the moment she seems to be over them. No, even Shahala seems content. It's me that's the basket case.”

“Wait,” Alex interrupted. “Who's Shahala?”

Steve's face lit up with comprehension. “Oh, wait, you guys left before the fun started. I really should start at the very beginning.” He took a moment to collect his thoughts. “Right after you left the cabin, I asked Carol to fulfill the wish she said I was owed. I wished for the iron bottle in my den to be in my hand with its genie in residence as if she's forgotten to grant a wish that day.”

“Jesse's stuck in her bottle?” Alex asked.

“Carol didn't want to grant the wish at first but then explained to Jesse that it would be better to understand what being a bottle-bound genie was like now rather then having it happen randomly back home.”

“Logical,” Josh commented.

“Jesse didn't see it that way but when Carol said, 'Granted.' Jesse disappeared. When I opened the bottle, the Jesse that came out was not herself and was fully aware that she wasn't herself and I think she was very afraid because she wasn't herself. She was most disturbed by being forced to call me Master. And the fact that she is unaware of the passage of time while in her bottle.

“So after a short discussion Carol suggests we find out if Jesse had any pre-made Arabian genie persona. Enter Shahala, god she's gorgeous. I commanded the genie Jesse to look and act like Shahala whenever she is bottle-bound.” He paused, his head bowed down.

“So you say they're doing fine. Why are you so upset?” Alex asked.

“Jesse is fucking gone!” Steve shouted at her, tears running down his face. “Shahala is wonderful but she isn't my Jesse. But I couldn't stand seeing Jesse so miserable as a genie. So I sent her away. As Shahala, she is obviously happy to be my fucking slave. Fearing my every whim may result in her punishment. She thanks me for being myself and if I tell not to do so it distresses her because it violates the standard of behavior she expects. Alex is your sun and Josh is your stars but if the other fucks up, you might be hurt, you might split up, who knows. If I fuck up, Shahala will still call me Master, obey my every command with pleasure, and will love me for punishing her. That's a lot to live up too. It's a burden not because of Shahala but because I love her. And loving the genie in the bottle is not supposed to happen.”

Alex summoned a handkerchief and handed it to Steve.

He took it and covered his eyes with it, hung his head down and sobbed.

Alex hugged him quietly while he composed himself.

* * *

“I suppose this is Don's way of saying you were a little loud,” Steve said, unlocking the handcuffs on Carol.

She immediately sat up and stretched her arms.

“Settle down, I'll do the gag now.”

“Mmphf, Mmphf,” she replied shaking her head. She pointed at the two Steves and brought her hands together.

“No?” Steve looked at her incredulously. Watching her hands he asked, “I should remerge?”

“Mmphf,” she nodded, hopping off the bed. She pointed at him and swept her arms over the surface of the bed.

Steve remerged and laid down where indicated.

She stood beside the bed and massaged his cock and balls gently.

“You don't have to...”

“Mmphf, Mmphf,” she hissed and put a finger to his lips.

Steve stopped interrupting and relaxed into the hand job.

As he came erect, she pushed his legs closer together and climbed onto the bed. She swung a leg over top of him and straddled his body. She stood on her knees and lined her pussy up with his cock. Slowly she eased herself onto his waiting member. She pointed at his hands and then cupped her breasts, starting to rub them.

When he took her breasts in hand, she held them in place against her breasts. He massaged her breasts perfectly.

She then started to lift herself up on his cock and pulled herself back down on his cock. Shortly she was moaning in pleasure at the feel of impaling herself on his cock.

Steve wondered why she did not want the gag removed. Was it because of Don? Or did she just like it? Jesse's Ms Sundance always wanted him to play the cheesy, mustache twirling villain but he usually chose to be the handsome stranger. Steve felt emotion welling up from a copy of himself in the kitchen and a tear ran down his cheek.

Carol stopped humping his cock in concern. “Mmphffff?”

“No, no, no, I'm not crying because of you, Dear Carolina.” Steve explained. “A copy of me is crying in the kitchen. Please continue this beautiful thing you are doing.”

“Mmphf?”

“I'm sure.”

She smiled in spite of the gag and gyrated her hips as she resumed riding his cock cowgirl style.

* * *

“Master, you are also a more attentive lover and master than I might have expected,” Shahala continued. “Thank you for placing me on the bed so gently, Master.”

“You've know me for a long time. Why would I not be attentive?” One Steve replied as the others paired up and started to remerge.

“I did not mean to offend you, Master. If I may explain,” Shahala started and did not continue until he nodded, giving her permission. “Though I am Jesse, Master, I do not think like Jesse and I do not always remember things she knows. To me, you are my Master and will treat in any manner you desire.”

“So having sex with you is cheating on my girlfriend?” He climbed into bed next to her and gave a coy kiss on the cheek.

“Only if having sex with Ms Sundance is cheating on yourself, Master.” At his look of surprise, she added, “I am aware of everything you do so you may summon me at a moments notice. I was very impressed by the manner in which you helped Ms Sundance feel more like a real person. Master. I suspect you are attempting the same with me.”

“Will it work?”

“I am already yours, Master.”

“I'm not interested in your devotion forced upon me as a genie. I want your wants to come from you. I want you to want me for me .”

“Then I have no idea if it will work, Master.”

He felt a build up of emotion from both other Steves and suddenly could not face Shahala.

"Master, what is wrong?"

"Return to your bottle."

"As you wish, Master," she replied flatly as she faded into mist.

Steve picked up her bottle and left the room. He entered the kitchen, to Josh and Alex's surprise. Silently he stepped up behind himself and merged. He broke the hug with Alex. "I'm fine." He looked down at his hand holding the bottle.

"Is that the bottle?" Alex asked.

After a short pause, Steve said, "Genie, come here."

A mist swirled from the bottle revealing Shahala. Bowing to Steve, she said, “How may I serve you, Master?”

"She is hot," Alex said before she could edit herself.

"Thank you, Alex," Shahala responded.

"Answer any questions they ask as if I were asking you," Steve commanded.

"Of course, Master."

Josh asked, "Why are you unaware of the passage of time when in your bottle?"

"I am unsure," Shahala answered. "I suspect it has something to do with the bottle. It was not crafted to hold a genie."

"Could one of your wishes or Carol's wishes modify the bottle so that you were aware when inside?" Josh continued.

"I am certain I could not. Carol should be able to. But that is a guess."

"Do you want her to do so?" Alex asked.

She looked at Steve who was not looking back. "Yes," she meekly replied.

Steve looked up. "I am shocked and pleased that you answered."

"Thank you, Master."

"Where is Jesse?" Alex asked.

"She is with me," Shahala shakily answered. "I am Jesse and I am not. But her awareness is with me and she provides me guidance."

"That's as good an answer as I could give," Josh added. "I sense only one mind within her but it is both similar and different from her normal mind. What I can't tell is if Shahala was added by Jesse or the magic or both."

"I did not exist before today," Shahala admitted. "I have memories created by Jesse. But I am well aware of their origins."

Steve piped in. "If the bottle were a proper vessel for genie, would you continue to occupy it when Jesse was free of it?"

"Do you mean when she is not required to occupy it, Master? For I presume she will never be free of the obligation that binds her to the bottle." Shahala claimed. "In either case, I do not know. Either condition is a possibility."

"Jesse would avoid being bound," Josh assumed. "Would you want to exist in the bottle for long periods of time, only released when she messes up?"

"As opposed to non-existence? That is not a choice."

"What happens if she becomes comfortable as a genie?" Alex asked. "Could you cease to exist?"

"Yes, or she could."

* * *

Don sat back and looked the tableau before him. Six mannequins stood in front of the window. Four were dressed in party dresses. Two were dressed in more elegant gowns. He had added props to make it seem like the four were attending a birthday party: one of the Amandas was blowing out electric candles on a cardboard cake. A red carpet backed the other two mannequins.

Satisfied, and ready for dinner, he touched one of the Amandaquins at the birthday party and said, "This Amanda only, return to normal."

The mannequin became flesh, but otherwise did not move.

He touched the back of her neck and the automaton persona no longer controlled her.

"Don," she said, "That was a great way to spend the afternoon. I was so worried I wouldn't enjoy being an automaton. But being under your total control is so wonderful." She kissed him.

They separated and he touched a mannequin of Bethany at the birthday party. "Return to flesh."

"Amanda, you are so lucky," Bethany squealed. "You can turn into a mannequin any time you want. That was so cool."

After kissing Bethany, Don said, "I don't know if you heard but dinner is almost ready."

"I lost track of time," Bethany said. When Don opened the door, she added, "What about the others?"

"They'll be here when we return. You may not be hungry but you are eating for three."

They laughed as they went downstairs. No one was around. Don led them toward the kitchen.

Josh stepped out of the kitchen as they approached, saying, "Set the table. We'll be out in a moment."

The three of them set the table in silence. A moment later, Alex, Steve, and Josh walked out carrying food and drinks.

Steve said, "Carol should be here shortly."

"Where's Jesse?" Amanda asked.

"She’s not herself," Alex quipped.

* * *

Carol screamed softly through her gag as she came. As her pussy squeezed his cock she tried to lift off of him hoping it would drive him wild.

It did. He could not believe the pleasure of being milked by her pussy and her pulling off of him at the same time. Where had she learned that bit of sex lore?

When the orgasm subsided she lay down on his bare chest placing her head next to his.

“Dinner is ready,” Steve said. “Want to go down there with the gag on?”

She sat up and looked him in the eye, shaking her head. “Mmphf, mmphf.”

He laughed and pushed her head back down beside his. He took the key he had and unlocked the strap. “Nice of Don to leave the key with me, wasn't it?”

She sat up again and tugged the straps apart so she could get the ball out of her mouth. She handed the cum and drool encrusted gag to Steve. She pulled soaking wet handkerchief out of her mouth and tossed it in the garbage.

“I was wondering what the white thing sticking out around the ball were.”

“Oh, that tastes awful.” She whined. “Ah need to brush my teeth before Ah put food in my mouth.”

“No need,” Steve said. “I wish both the room and the two of us were totally clean, that we were dressed, made up, and standing by the door ready for dinner.”

She smiled, “Granted.”

Suddenly she was wearing a bright yellow sun dress and matching bonnet with with nylons and bright yellow pumps. He was wearing a clean shirt and jeans with his brown shoes. The room was spotless.

As they left the room, Josh said, “Oh, dear, do you have to clean that room again, Steve?”

“Already taken care of,” he called back. As they arrived at the table, Steve merged with his more sorrowful twin. He felt better immediately.

“You feeling better?” Alex asked.

“It appears that when I split, I become less able to deal with emotion compared to the full me.”

Don jumped in, “So where is Jesse?”

Steve told the story he told Alex and Josh once again. It was less emotionally charged and Carol helped with parts of it.

Bethany did not know Steve and Jesse as long as the others and felt out of her element. She remained quiet for most of the discussion.

Amanda was beside herself. “So, then where is this Shahala?”

“She's in the bottle right now, unaware that any time has passed since Steve dismissed her before dinner was served.” Josh explained.

Alex added, “Don't bombard her with questions.”

Steve said, “Genie, come here.”

“How may I server you, Master?” Shahala appeared as mist from nowhere, giving her traditional salutation with a bow.

Don let out a rude whistle.

Bethany elbowed him in the ribs.

“Sorry, no one said she was so hot,” Don said. After an awkward silence, he added, “So what was your first wish?”

Steve looked at him surprised. “I didn't make one. I only used the wish Carol promised me.”

“Could you wish Jesse were here along with Shahala?” Amanda asked.

“No,” Josh said. “Shahala is Jesse. I feel Jesse's mind within Shahala.”

“By that logic, isn't Carol just split off from Steve?” Amanda continued. “What happens if he tried to reabsorb her?”

Carol recoiled in horror. “Ah'd prefer that you hadn't said that. Ah've had that fear all day.”

“Shahala, is Carol your Master?” Alex asked.

“No,” Shahala answered. “She has her own soul. But I also believe they could merge into one another. That is a physical trait they share.”

“Carol can duplicate?” Alex continued.

“No, and Master cannot grant wishes.”

“We actually should try that some time, Carolina. I could create a duplicate of you right now. I can also create a Jesse duplicate. In fact, I know what wish I'm going to make. I had wanted Jesse to turn me into more people so I could have more variety in my duplicates.”

“But why would we duplicate?” Carol asked.

“To share minds,” Steve said. “As she said, we already basically share bodies.”

“Sounds intimate,” Josh said.

“I can't say for sure, Carolina,” Steve continued. “But you would probably be able to walk out of me on your own. And there's nothing to say we couldn't merge into your body if it does frighten you. No pressure. I don't really want to do it with an audience.”

“Awww,” Alex mock moaned. “You look a lot more settled, Steve.”

“Don't remind me,” he replied. “It reminds me that sex with Carolina and Shahala calmed my emotional outburst about the loss of my girlfriend. It makes me feel like I'm cheating. But both were invented by my girlfriend and one's borrowing her body. It's so confusing.”

“Can we go back to my question?” Amanda began, “If the game could make a soul for Carol, why can't a wish create a soul for Shahala and release Jesse from the bottle?”

“We don't know how powerful Carol's wishes are,” Josh said. “And neither Shahala nor Jesse could help because genie wishes cannot directly benefit the genie.

"Maybe the game can provide a solution?" Bethany suggested.

"The game created the problem." Steve exclaimed.

Bethany shrank back in her seat.

"There's no reason to yell at her, Steve," Don bellowed.

"I apologize." Steve hung his head low.

“Alex, not one to rest on her laurels, has discovered a way to improve blow jobs for both the giver, I presume, and for the receiver, which I'm sure of,” Josh began, hoping a topic change would help. “In water blow jobs delivered by a mermaid are better than a normal blow job because the mermaid can deep throat without needing to breathe, the mermaid can use her tailfin to stroke up and down the man's shaft without performing dizzying neck movements, and at the end of the blowjob, the mermaid can instantly rinse out her mouth. I can't wait to figure out how to add a wading pool to our apartment when we get home.”

“Only if it contains a rock where I can sun myself and be spotted by a pair of hikers,” Alex added.

“I think we need to hear what you two did this afternoon,” Amanda asked.

As dinner finished, Alex started clearing the table. Bethany and Amanda helped. In the kitchen, Alex asked, "So are there two of each of you upstairs, displaying clothes to night critters?"

"As a matter of fact there are," Amanda admitted.

Alex shook her head, "As long as you're enjoying yourselves, I guess. Are you aware of them now?"

"No," Bethany said. "I don't know about Amanda but he created us almost as soon as we entered the room. I spent several hours as a mannequin facing the window before he even touched me. I could hear him working but had no idea what he was doing to the other dolls."

"You were last and I was next to last," Amanda said.

“I understand how Bethany can just stand there, she has no choice once Don turns her into a mannequin,” Alex began. “But, Amanda, you can just turn back to flesh any time. Why do you stay-- should I say -- in character?”

“You must first ask how he was able to split me into three copies,” Amanda pointed out. “As soon as he turns her into a mannequin, she’s under his control. And he can only split someone he has control over. When we were playing the game and the robot me wigged out, Don stopped time for you guys, but not for me. So after he pressed the red button we made out for a little while. When we got back to the game, he suggested the ruse we played. I told him that we should make as real as possible so based on the practice wish Bethany had granted by Jesse turning her into an automaton, I created such a switch in my neck as well. So to create copies of me he pressed the switch and I was under his control.”

“You still have the switch?” Alex asked.

“Touch my neck, I trust you.”

Alex reached up and touched the back of Amanda’s neck. She felt a slight depression and felt something click under her finger.

Amanda’s body became rigid.

Bethany grabbed one of Amanda’s breasts.

Amanda did not react.

“Touch your toes,” Alex said.

Amanda stepped out of her shoes, bent over at the waist, and touched her toes, freezing in place once her fingers touched her feet.

Alex reached down and pressed the back of Amanda’s neck again.

“In your complete control and all you ask me to do is touch my toes,” Amanda said as she stood up and stepped back into her shoes.

“With all the talk about Jesse, I’m not in playful mood, I guess,” Alex replied. “Can I have a rain check?”

“Of course,” Amanda replied. “But only if you create a switch for me to press.”

Alex thought for a moment and replied, “After I test drive it with Josh, we’ll see.”

“Yes,” Bethany said, “Turn her into one of us.”

“Now you have me curious,” Alex concentrated and the three of them appeared in Bethany and Amanda’s bedroom.

“What?” Bethany said. “Oh, I forgot you had that ability.”

Alex looked at the scene arrayed before her. “He does have a knack for window displays. Look, he even summoned footlights to illuminate you better in the display.” She turned around and pointed to the dresser. “What’s that?”

“It looks like my head,” Bethany said.

“Your head with an opening just the right size for fucking,” Amanda added.

“Why would he create a fake head to fuck when he could fuck my head?”

Alex burst out laughing. Amanda laughed too.

Bethany took an extra second to realize how absurd what she had said was and laughed as well. “Still, he didn’t need to create a sex toy when he had real women to have sex with.”

“Ask him later,” Alex offered.

Suddenly the three of them heard a loud popping noise and a group of people crying out in surprise coming from downstairs.

* * *

“Shahala, could you make a new vessel for a genie and then we could transfer you to that vessel?” Josh asked.

“That may work,” she replied.

“How could we find out if Carol can create a soul?” Josh asked. Before Shahala could say anything, he added, “My power has no answer for that.”

“I’m unsure.”

“Carol,” Josh said, “If you are able to split Jesse from Shahala, I wish I had a ripe red apple in my hand.”

Carol felt the tug of a pending wish and said, “Granted.”

Josh took a bite out of the apple.

“How do we know it really worked?”

Steve said, “Carol and not Shahala, If Don has not tried to figure out how get you to be a mannequin, I wish I had a ripe red apple in my hand.”

“Hey!” Don exclaimed.

“Granted,” Carol said as she started to giggle.

“No apple,” Steve said holding his hands up.

“I protest,” Don said. “I only tried to figure out how to get Carol to be under my control so I could copy her and perhaps keep a copy.”

“That you would turn into a mannequin,” Steve added.

“I guess so.”

“Couldn’t you create a mannequin that looked like me on your own, Donald?” Carol asked.

“It wouldn’t be a living mannequin.”

“Why not?” Carol asked.

“I’m waiting for him to figure out that he is in control of himself and create a couple copies of himself.” Josh joked.

“I thought about that,” Don said. “But I wouldn’t be able to get rid of them because I’d lose control of them as soon as they existed.”

“I think I’ve got it. Let me practice it,” Steve announced. “I don’t wish the shared entity of Shahala and Jesse were split in twain such that the first entity being the human Jesse appears here beside me with all her original humanity, with none of the obligations of the wish that created the genie, and as a distinct and whole living being in no way linked or bound to Shahala; the second entity being the genie Shahala returned to her bottle with all the powers of the genie, with all the obligations of the wish that created the genie, and as a distinct and whole living being in no way linked or bound to Jesse.”

After a moment Josh said, “Excellent. But will it create a soul?”

“I’m hoping the ‘distinct and whole living being’ part covers that without being so specific the wish gets screwed up because we don’t know what we’re talking about when it comes to souls.” Steve explained. “Do ‘real’ genies have souls? How do we know?”

“So are you going to try it?” Don asked.

“Shahala, I command you that I am not making a wish for you.” Steve said. He turned to Carol and repeated the prior wish, leaving out the “don’t”.

Carol’s eyes bulged as the wish was spoken and she developed a frantic look by the time he finished. Her entire body started to shake as she croaked out in barely a whisper, “Granted.”