Standing in the middle of a vast evergreen forest, Courtney surveyed the landscape around her for some sign of life. She searched to no avail for she seemed to be completely isolated amidst the tall trees and dense shrubs. Looking downward, she spotted a meandering path that led deeper into the forest to an unknown destination. Unsure of what to do, Courtney followed the path carefully as though she were on a long and difficult quest to find a buried treasure. She walked for what seemed like several hours through the forest when she suddenly noticed a small pinkish haze about three feet above her head. Although she could not fell for sure, she thought it looked like a faerie flying about between the branches of the trees. Courtney stopped in her tracks and watched the faerie in wonder as it expertly navigated around the dense foliage.
The sound of rushing water then caught her attention, and looking to one side she saw a swift stream that fed into a secluded pond about fifty feet ahead. Approaching the pristine and calm water, she bent down and she admired her own reflection in the water. Across the pond, she saw the faint silhouette of a female figure sitting on the opposite bank. Looking more closely, she thought that the body was attached to a fishtail - catching her breath, Courtney realized that she was looking at a real mermaid. The rustle of nearby branches distracted her briefly, and she detected a subtle movement in the plants near the mermaid. There appeared to be the definite form of a horse in the branches, but like the mermaid the horse legs were attached to a female's body. A centauress! She quietly called out to the mermaid and the centauress, hoping earnestly that they would hear her, but they could not. Despite Courtney's pleas, the mermaid and centauress slowly faded from her view as a thick fog settled throughout the forest.
*****
Courtney abruptly awoke during the middle of the night from her restless sleep with incredible images of fantastic creatures floating in her mind. Clearing the cobwebs from her eyes, she thought that she might have dreamed all of them up. But then, she noticed the eerie green glow of the mysterious bottle that still sat on the table where she had left it. Even though the bottle lay completely silent, it still seemed to be calling out desperately to Courtney to open it, compelling her in its secret. This time, however, Courtney simply needed to end all of the mounting tension and put the mystery of the bottle to rest. Quickly, she turned on a bedside lamp, grabbed the strange bottle, and pulled out the small black stopper.
At that moment, a cloud of greenish smoke emanated from the bottle and filled the room, causing Courtney to cough in its wake. The smoke was so dense that she could hardly make out her own hands in front of her face. Slowly, the smoke dissipated, and a mysterious female figure stood in front of Courtney dressed in a dark red sari and nothing else. She had a perfectly pure, fairly dark complexion that was in harmony with her flowing black hair and dark brown eyes... she was nothing short of a goddess. Respectfully, she knelt before Courtney and said in a sweet and soothing voice, "Kind mistress, I thank you for releasing me from the bottle. I am a Djinna, but you may call me Jen. What do you desire of me?"
Courtney was so stunned by the sudden appearance of this woman in her room that she jumped back defensively, dropping the bottle on the floor with the sound of breaking glass. In Courtney's mind, all reason and logic about the world had been completely shattered as she had just seen a beautiful woman materialize out of thin air. She began to hyperventilate, searching her brain for any sort of feasible explanation for what she had just witnessed. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but no words came out. From all the stressful surprises that had overwhelmed her life in the last twenty-four hours, she just could take no more and collapsed onto the bed beside her.
*****
"Mistress... wake up..."
Bright morning sunlight poured into the window of Courtney's hotel room. Courtney woke with a start, realizing that she must be late for her flight to New York from Heathrow Airport that morning. Just as she was climbing out of bed and racing for the shower, she saw Jen standing next to the bed with a tray of breakfast items, including hot coffee, fresh fruit, and a bowl of cereal. She was still wearing the same dark red sari that she appeared in last night.
"Don't worry about your plane," Jen reassured Courtney, gently touching her shoulder. "Everything will be just fine... just have some breakfast and collect your thoughts."
Courtney stopped suddenly and finally managed to ask a question. "Who are you?" she said in a strangled voice.
Jen was patient. "Mistress, I am Jen, and in my world I am known as a Djinna. I have magical powers and I am at your humble service. I know that this is all very unusual for you, but I can assure you that I do not mean you any harm."
"You mean... you are a genie?" Courtney asked with trepidation, unable to believe her ears and convinced that she was hallucinating.
"In a sense, I can grant wishes, but of a different sort. Basically, I can become anything you wish and I can help you become whatever you wish."
The music from the Twilight Zone echoed through Courtney's head. If there was anything about Jen that she just could not fathom, it was definitely the fact that she possessed magical powers. It was as though she had stepped into an alternate dimension by entering that Oriental gift shop yesterday in Covent Garden. Courtney knew that she needed to start understanding this in a hurry or someone would surely call a psychologist. "But how... I mean... why me? I... I just don't get it!"
"Mistress... there are special people who are destined to meet a Djinn or a Djinna because they have a unique appreciation for the supernatural. I can sense it in you."
Courtney reflected on Jen's comment for a minute. Although she liked to think of herself as a logical and straightforward woman, she did enjoy reading fantasy novels and studying mythology in college. And then there was that strange dream last night with faeries, mermaids, and centaurs that she had just before opening the bottle. Perhaps what Jen was telling her had a degree of truth in it, but she still did not comprehend the idea of magic. It was as though she really were a character in a Harry Potter book, for she felt like a clueless Muggle thrown into this strange reality where magical phenomena are commonplace.
But what if it were true, Courtney asked herself. Obviously, if Jen were truly a Djinna, she would be able to demonstrate that in front of her without any difficulty. Courtney turned to face Jen and studied her carefully, trying to imagine how the magic might actually work. "So... how does this magic of yours work?" Courtney said hesitantly.
"Mistress... all you have to do is tell me what you wish and I will grant it to the best of my ability," Jen explained.
Courtney's first wish was more of a formal request than anything else. "Well... first of all, I would rather that you not call me 'mistress.' It just sounds wrong. Please call me Courtney instead."
Jen smiled, knowing that Courtney was at long last coming to terms with the situation. "Absolutely, Courtney."
For the first time in nearly a day, Courtney made a small giggle. It felt strangely satisfying to hear her own name coming from Jen's beautiful voice. Somehow, it helped her recognize that missing her flight home would probably not be a big deal because Jen could surely conjure up a way to get there just as easily and safely. There was also the delight in seeing the look on Anthony's face when she told him about her new Djinna friend, and the astonishment on Mike's face when she brought him the news. Just as Jen had said, everything was definitely going to be okay.
However, as Courtney reached a hand up into her tangled mess of hair, she just remembered that she still needed to jump into the shower and wash up. She was also still wearing her nightgown. "If you don't mind," she said with a sigh, "I need to clean up and get dressed."
"What would you like to wear today?" Jen asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
Courtney gave a puzzled look. "I'm sorry? That question strikes me as sort of odd."
"Courtney, remember that I have magical powers. All you have to do is just tell me what you want to wear," the Djinna said happily.
"Oh..." Courtney said under her breath. After a moment's thought, Courtney formed a mental image of the perfect casual outfit that she wanted to wear and voiced her wish to Jen. "Well, I guess this would be as good an opportunity as any to see your magic in action. I think that I want to wear a knit turtleneck sweater and a comfortable pair of blue jeans."
With that, Jen smiled warmly and pointed a dainty finger at Courtney. There was a soft rustling sound as Courtney's nightgown vanished into thin air and the sweater and jeans appeared on her body. Looking in the mirror attached to the wall of the hotel room, Courtney admired her reflection in absolute amazement. The neatly woven sweater that she was now wearing fit perfectly and snugly, and the jeans were more comfortable and relaxing than most of the pairs she owned. She also noticed that her hair was nicely styled as though it had just been cut by her favorite hairstylist. A broad smile quickly spread across her face as she took in the simple beauty of the woman reflected in the mirror. If there was anything that would convince her that Jen's magic was real, it was certainly this. "I'm gorgeous!" she managed to say.
"Yes you are, Courtney," Jen complimented.
Walking up to Jen, Courtney felt obligated to apologize for challenging her magic. "I'm so sorry that I doubted you, Jen," she told the Djinna with feelings of regret. "I just didn't think that magic was really possible!"
"It is not a problem. I am here to help you fulfill your dreams, Courtney, and no matter what they are I will be happy," Jen explained respectfully.
Just then, Courtney became aware of the fact that she had almost surely missed her plane ride back to New York. Mike and Anthony would be extremely worried if she did not arrive at the airport and that something dire might have happened to her in London. Fortunately, though, her anxieties were calmed by Jen's almost whimsical presence in the room. She hoped to find out as soon as possible how she would be able to get back to the United States. With a bit of apprehension, Courtney asked, "Jen... can your magic help me get back home today? My family won't know what happened to me."
Jen thought for a moment, then responded, "I cannot teleport us from one location to another, but I can make sure you get there soon if that is what you wish."
"How would you do that?" Courtney inquired. "I would be curious to know."
Without warning, the air around Jen's body began to shimmer brightly, and Courtney could see that the Djinna's form was shifting. Her height diminished slightly as her head and body contorted and took radically different shapes. Although Courtney could not tell for sure, she thought she saw great feathers sprout from Jen's arms and back. As the light faded, Courtney looked upon Jen's dramatically changed form - she was now a large bird! She spread her vast wings and proudly displayed her new, brightly colored feathers. There was no sign that Jen had ever been a human in the distinctly avian creature sitting before her. Jen looked at Courtney with green, beady eyes and opened her beak to speak. "It is simple, Courtney. If you cannot fly in a plane, then you must fly yourself home," she said in a very nasal and mundane voice,
Unsure of what to make of Jen's statement, Courtney started to panic. "Do you mean that I would have to become a bird as well?"
Jen bounced up to Courtney and wrapped her wing around her shaking body. The feathers were soft and soothing in a most unexpected way, relieving some of her tension. "I can understand your nervousness," Jen consoled. "But transformation is not a painful process, and in fact most people discover that taking on a new body is a very spiritual experience."
For some inexplicable reason, Courtney found solace in Jen's obscure words. It was obvious to her that the Djinna would never do anything to harm her, and she always had a curiosity for the unknown. After all, if she did not feel comfortable as a bird, she could always have Jen change her back so she could fly home the conventional way. "Jen, I believe you and I trust you. As scared as I am, I think I want to try it."
The Djinna wrapped both of her wings around Courtney's body, and after a brief moment released her. The sweater and jeans Courtney had wished for just a few minutes before disappeared from sight and she could feel her own body changing. Just as Jen had promised, the sensations were not at all painful; in fact, Courtney found them somewhat relaxing and allowed her mind to be calm. She watched intently as her feet reformed into talons with orange scales, and her legs shrunk to meet her upper body. Her arms lengthened and narrowed, the bone configurations altering to give them a graceful curve. Feathers soon covered her entire body, brightly colored just as Jen's were, bringing warmth to her bare body. A large fan of feathers sprouted from her back as her arms and hands became long wings. Even though it was not painful, Courtney winced as her head changed to match her body as a long beak emerging from her nose and mouth.
The transformation complete, Courtney moved about experimentally in her new body, enjoying different sensations she had never felt before. Spreading her magnificent wings, she was thrilled at their beauty and thought they must span at least eight feet. She folded her new wings neatly beside her, a position that would have been impossible just moments ago. With a sharp squawk, Courtney expressed her satisfaction with Jen's magic. "I feel so alive," she exclaimed, preening her feathers carefully.
Jen motioned towards the window, which magically opened as she indicated it. "Come on, Courtney. Let's fly."
With a small leap, Jen took flight outside the hotel, flapping her wings and raising high above the streets of Earl's Court. Although Courtney was uneasy about the prospect of flying right away, something inside her mind told her that she would know how to do it. Trying to mimic Jen's example, Courtney made a leap of faith into the cold morning air and started to flap her wings. Instinctively, she found the proper motion and was soon soaring far above the buildings with Jen. The feelings of flying were unlike anything she had ever experienced before, and her mind filled with unprecedented happiness.
Jen made a slow arc and turned westward, Courtney following her closely. "Come Courtney... let us fly to New York. As creatures of magic, even the long flight will not exhaust us."
Both birds flapped their wings elegantly as they flew above the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Courtney delighted in the sensations of the ocean air moving across her feathers, for it was the ultimate feeling of freedom. Looking down at the ocean, Courtney spotted a group of whales breaking the surface as they came up for air. As she watched them, she thought that there might be a renewed possibility of fulfilling her favorite childhood fantasy of becoming a young mermaid, just like the one she had seen in the mysterious forest last night during her dream.
*****
It was dark by the time Courtney and Jen reached New York, the Statue of Liberty illuminated with lights and standing tall in the harbor. Courtney never imagined that she would be returning to her hometown as a bird flying high above the city. Fortunately, she had arrived soon enough to alert Mike that he would not have to go to the airport after all. She lived in a quiet residential neighborhood in Queens, and she gracefully guided Jen to her home.
As they landed on the ground, Jen immediately reversed the transformation so that her family would not be startled to find two unusual birds sitting in the yard. As Courtney's feathers faded and human shape returned, she discovered that she was again wearing the sweater and jeans she had asked for back in London. She glanced at Jen, and found that she was now wearing a matching top for her red sari. It was a good thing too, because Courtney would not want Anthony to see a half-naked young woman march into the house.
Courtney smiled as she walked up to the front door and unlocked it, Jen right behind her. "Mike and Anthony... I'm home!" she called into the house. If she was not mistaken, she thought she could smell dinner cooking in the kitchen. Mike certainly knew how to make her happy when she got home!
"Mom!" Anthony raced out of his bedroom and hugged his mother tightly. He did not notice Jen standing behind her.
"I missed you, sweetheart," Courtney said as Anthony broke the embrace. "Where's Mike?"
Just then, Mike appeared from the kitchen and his jaw dropped when he saw his fiancee in the doorway. Courtney's body blocked his view of Jen, but he was more interested in finding out how Courtney had returned so quickly. "You certainly surprised me," he said. "How did you get home?"
Courtney stepped into the house, and Mike saw Jen for the first time. After the awkward conversation on the telephone about the strange bottle Courtney had found while shopping, he was mentally prepared for anything when she returned. But he certainly did not expect to see a voluptuous woman! Anthony peered around the corner and saw her as well, unsure of what to make of her. Courtney introduced the Djinna to the family. "I'd like you guys to meet Jen. I met her in London and she came home with me."
"What?" Mike and Anthony said in unison.
Jen looked silently at Courtney, as if to make sure that it was okay if she enlightened Mike and Anthony as to her true nature. "My name is Jen, and I am a Djinna. Courtney met me last night when she opened my bottle and released me. She is my mistress and she may use my magical powers."
Anthony's face filled with excitement upon hearing Jen talk about magic, being that he was a huge fan of Harry Potter. He wanted to see real magic and gently tugged on Jen's sari as though to coax her to show him something. Mike, on the other hand, remained skeptical about the whole situation. Like Courtney had initially, Mike did not believe that magic existed; however, he did find it most curious that Courtney had arrived home well before her plane was scheduled to come in. He also noticed that he had never seen Courtney wear the clothes that she was wearing at the moment. Was it possible that Jen could be a creature of magic.
Sensing Mike's skepticism, Jen asked Courtney quietly, "Perhaps a small demonstration would be appropriate. Maybe some new clothes, Courtney?"
Courtney looked up at Mike, whose disbelieving eyes still looked as though there was nothing that would change his mind about magic. "Mike, I'm about to ask Jen to change my outfit for me," she said as she pointed at her jeans. "I know that I didn't believe it at first, but I am serious about this." She grinned as she turned to Jen and told her exactly what she wanted to wear for the evening. "Please make my jeans a long denim skirt with a front slit."
In the blink of an eye, Courtney's jeans had fused together and become the very skirt that she had just described. Courtney modeled her new outfit for Mike, who stared at Courtney and then at Jen with a questioning gaze. There was no denying that he had just witnessed magic. "I... I just don't believe it," he stuttered. "Courtney, this is incredible... I just can't think of anything to say!"
Anthony, noticing that Jen had turned Courtney's jeans into a skirt, clapped as though he were watching a stage performance. Jen blushed and told him, "Did you enjoy that? Perhaps your mother will show you more magic later!" Anthony chuckled and sat patiently on the sofa in the living room awaiting the next display of magic. For him, it was like a dream come true.
At that moment, Courtney remembered the whales that she saw while flying over the Atlantic Ocean on her journey home. Courtney knew that Jen could do a complete animal transformation, but was not sure about mythological creatures like centaurs or mermaids. More than anything, she wanted to swim effortlessly in the water just like the mermaids she had endeared as a little girl. There was a swimming pool in the back yard that she would experiment in, but first, she was interested in finding out how Jen would manage a mythological transformation. "Jen... I know you're probably not expecting this, but I want to see you as a centauress."
With anticipation, Anthony jumped up from the sofa to watch the transformation as Jen's body was again surrounded by bright light. Just as before, it was hard to make out the changes, but everyone could see four equine legs taking shape in the light under Jen's lengthening body. The light soon dissipated, and Jen stood before Courtney and her family on four hoof-clad horse legs swishing her long tail proudly. Her upper body remained virtually unchanged, but below her waist her skin blended almost flawlessly with downy brown horse hair. With a smile, Jen asked Courtney, "How is this?"
Jen had accomplished Courtney's wish far better than she could have ever imagined. In fact, Jen resembled the centauress that she had seen in her dream just before opening the bottle. Meanwhile, Mike and Anthony simply stared at the centauress that now appeared in front of them, reluctant to say anything more. Transfiguring objects was one thing, but shapeshifting was completely another. Courtney, on the other hand, had her mind on mermaids and wanted to become one right then and there. Her experience as a bird earlier was so exhilarating that she wanted nothing more than to become the creature of her dreams. She reached out and stroked Jen's equine back and whispered into her ear, "I want to be a mermaid out in my pool."
Mike and Anthony lagged behind bashfully as Courtney escorted Jen out the patio door and to the pool. They had no idea what Courtney was up to, but they knew that she was thoroughly engrossed in Jen's incredible magic. As Courtney removed the tarp from the cover of the pool, yanked off all her clothes, and plunged into the cold water, she could feel the changes course through her body. Her legs moved tightly together and stretched slightly, the bones giving way to muscles and losing their rigidity, allowing her to flex them freely. Small bluish patches flecked her skin below her waist and fused together to form scales as her feet flattened out into a wide tailfin. Even though the water was just slightly above freezing, Courtney noticed that her body did not feel cold at all. In her mind, she knew that she was now a fabulous creature of the water and could live forever in it.
It was as though she had discovered paradise as she swam around the pool with her new tail. Jen watched her contentedly from the deck, knowing that Courtney had become exactly what she wanted to be. Freed from the restrictions of movement imposed by her leg bones, Courtney curled her tail in every direction and brushed her tailfin against the side of the pool. This was even more remarkable than becoming a bird, she thought to herself as she floated in the center of the pool with small movements of her tail. Everything felt so wonderful as a mermaid that she wanted to share her joy with everyone. Without thinking, Courtney said aloud, "I wish all of us could be mermaids forever."
Suddenly, she blacked out.
*****
Courtney awoke to find herself floating in the middle several miles from land in the middle of a tropical ocean. She looked down beyond her breasts and saw that she was still the mermaid that she was before she lost consciousness. As she surveyed the water around her, she saw three other mermaids bobbing above the waves about a hundred feet away and quickly swam towards them. Drawing nearer, she immediately recognized that one of the mermaids was Jen - the other two mermaids appeared to be highly feminized versions of her fiance Mike and her son Anthony! Courtney immediately asked Jen what had happened to everybody.
"Last night, you wished that all of us could be mermaids forever," she stated simply. "Because you are my mistress, I granted your request. I am forever bound to be a mermaid as well."
Courtney gasped at the thought of what she had done, thinking that Mike and Anthony would never forgive her for turning them into mermaids. However, she noticed that they were frolicking playfully in the water and giggling happily. She also thought she overheard them addressing one another with new feminine names... Michelle and Annie. Interrupting her reverie, Jen tapped Courtney on the shoulder and said reassuringly, "Everything will be okay, Courtney. Michelle and Annie are perfectly happy to be mermaids, and I am too. After seeing you swim around your pool in complete ecstasy, I knew that you would want to be a mermaid more than anything else in the world. You are truly a mistress like no other!"
Deep down, Courtney knew that that was true... it had always been her fantasy to become a mermaid and live in the ocean. With a gleeful flip of her tail, she swam to join her new mermaid family.