DEEPTI SHARMA
It was three in the noon and I walked to my house from my tuition classes. As I walked by the crowded bus-stop, a little girl stopped me. She was wearing a once maroon, now dirty long skirt and a blouse which must have been mustard-yellow, if new. She was barely my age and carried a shiny box in her hand. She asked for money and I gave her the change I had in my pocket. She handed me over the tiny box and ran away. Before I could understand anything, the box start to tremble. When I looked up to stop her, she'd disappeared. I looked at the box again and noticed the blood drops dripping from its bottom. Now, I was really scared. Sweat drops scrolled down my forehead but I was curious to open it too. Ba-dum-dum-dah! I recalled the sound it made.
I kept it in my bag, wrapped inside two paper sheets and ran to my home. Maybe, she was sent by God, to help me for taking care of my grandmother. Or for never stealing my brother’s chocolates. Or to never throw my milk in the sink. Perhaps, I was going to get my own Genie, like Aladin. There was a dance in my steps and smile on my lips. I went home, told mom to wait for lunch, closed the door behind and opened the box.
There was a walnut-sized, grey-coloured, flabby material which was something like a stone or rubber. Nothing else! Keeping the disappointment at bay, I rubbed it. Rubbed it hard on my thigh. Rubbed it again. Perhaps, Genie was sleeping, so I decided to pull it out.
I put it neatly over my handkerchief and brought a nail and hammer. I stuck the nail exactly at the centre and aimed with the hammer. I missed the shot and the hammer hammered my index finger. A chill ran down my spine as I saw my finger-pore turning purple and two drops of blood falling down on the stone. I controlled my urge to shout and sucked my finger inside my mouth. I was jumping with pain but had to stop after an awful stench reached my nostrils. I turned back to see the stone has five-folded itself and was stinking of vomit and dead fishes. I covered my nose and noticed that the walnut-sized stone was big like a tennis ball now.
So, there was some magic for sure. But how? I took my water-bottle out and sprinkled some water droplets over it. The stink grew strong but nothing changed about size. I sprinkled some more water. Nope. Nothing. I realised something and put my injured finger over the stone again. Two more drops dripped over it. A strong gust of weird stench reached to me pushing me a few steps back. I saw the stone ten-folded itself. It was big like a soccer ball now and its grey colour became dirty-translucent crystal. It started moving. Ba-dum-dum-dah! I heard it again. I could see inside it now. Plastic bags and bottles drenched with human blood. There was no Genie! It was a devil that sucked on human blood and grew bigger.
Save Earth.