Freedom

As Al'Rinda snapped her fingers, a rumbling sound filled the air. The lamp that Alexis had rubbed was vibrating rapidly, and cracks began to form, shooting a blindingly white light out of it. Kyleigh pushed Maria in front of her as the mortals ducked for cover.

A loud boom rang out as the lamp exploded and the light filled the entire room. When it faded, Al'Rinda was levitating, staring at her own hands.

"I... I'm free?"

She widely grinned and began to spin, slowly at first and then fast as a top.

"I'M FREE!"

Stopping her spinning, she appeared beside Libby.

"I can't believe you did that! You didn't have any ulterior motive for freeing me! Someone tried to free me once, but because they wanted me to cast magic for them even after they had used all their wishes, it counted as trying to gain more wishes, and I couldn't grant it!" Al'Rinda spoke rapidly, sounding absolutely ecstatic.

Libby smiled and threw her arms around Al'Rinda again, and Al'Rinda returned the gesture.

"Genie! I am the one who rubbed the lamp! I demand some recompensation!" Alexis rose from where she had been cowering on the ground.

A sour look spread across Al'Rinda's face as she released Libby and stepped forwards.

"I have been bound to this lamp for millennia. And now you mire my memory with your presence? Foolish mortal. You have offended me thrice. Firstly, you make demands of me without being my master. Secondly, you have bullied this angel to the point of making her waste one of her wishes. And finally, you ruin my memory of the greatest moment of my life!"

Her voice began to echo as it became louder and louder.

"YOU WILL HAVE YOUR RECOMPENSATION. AND YOU WILL DESERVE EVERY MOMENT OF IT. BEGONE."

The genie blew out, and a cloud of purple smoke surrounded Alexis.

When it cleared, she was standing in her room. She stood there a moment, in shock, before anger overtook her.

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" she cried out, grabbing things from around her room and throwing them at the walls. She shattered her clock, TV, and remote control as she raged around the room. Her tidily made bed became barren as she grabbed the sheets and threw them into a pile in the corner.

Her parents lived abroad, so she did not have to worry about them hearing the noise, but her maid and classmate Madison (or Maid as Alexis called her) heard the ruckus and came into the room, standing demurely by the door. She was slightly shorter than Alexis, as she had demanded that the help not be taller than her. With flowing brown hair, she looked quite pretty in her black and white maid uniform.

Alexis finally noticed the girl and made to throw a pillow at her, causing Madison to flinch. However, after she picked it up, she found herself unable to throw it anywhere near the maid. She struggled until she remembered that bitch Libby's wish: she was unable to be mean to others.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!" Alexis shouted. It seemed her speech was not affected heavily by the compulsion she was under. Her normally pale face was stained red as she huffed and puffed from her activities.

"Good afternoon, Lady Alexis. I merely wished to inquire as to what had provoked this reaction from you." Madison curtsied as she spoke, keeping her eyes pointed downwards and off of Alexis. Cold anger radiated off of the girl as she considered the lowly person before her.

"You think I would ever tell you anything? You pathetic excuse for a girl. I wouldn't trust a poor bitch like you to pick out my fucking outfit, much less the intricacies of my life. Get the FUCK out of my FUCKING ROOM!"

"That seems a bit mean of a response, my Lady. I am merely inquiring as my duties require. I shall take my leave." Madison curtsied again, unbothered, before beginning to back out of the room. As she began to leave, however, Alexis couldn't stop herself from speaking.

"I apologize for being mean! I am angry because I thought I had the chance at eternal power and wishes, but instead I have been cursed to never be mean to anyone again!" Alexis clapped her hands over her mouth as soon as she was finished speaking.

Madison stopped her retreat. Slowly, she curtsied to her Lady.

"Forgive my impertinence, my Lady, but that is quite an odd story, my Lady. Is this true? That you cannot be mean?"

"Of course not, you fucking dumbass. Now get out!" Alexis yelled, and here she made a mistake. Picking up a cup from her desk, she made as if to throw it at the maid, as she had done hundreds of times before. The maid flinched and closed her eyes, waiting for an impact that never came. Slowly raising her eyes, Madison regarded her Lady once more.

"Nevertheless, I am curious, my Lady. Why do you stay your weapon so?"

"That's none of your FUCKING BUSINESS! GET OUT!"

But Madison remained where she was. The maid was nervous, but she steeled her will.

"You know, my Lady, if you truly were unable to be mean, surely you would have to delete all those photos and videos of me changing that you took during my orientation here." She shook as she waited for a blow to rain down on her.

But the blow never came. Madison watched as her longtime blackmailer pulled out her phone, and deleted all the photos and videos of Madison that she had taken using a creep camera in the maid's quarters. Additionally, Alexis deleted them from a private app that she used for the purpose of storing images she didn't want removed. As her fingers moved on their own, Alexis was appalled.

"...No... No!"

"Well. That was rather kind of you, my Lady."

"You fucking bitch! How dare you tell me what to do. I'm going to call Daddy right now. When my Daddy hears about this-" Alexis furiously punched numbers into her phone as she fumed. The phone began to ring.

"Now now, my Lady. It would be rather mean of you to give a bad impression of me," Madison chided.

"Hello Alexis, what's wrong? It's been a while since I heard your voice," A tired but slightly hopeful voice came from the phone.

"Daddy, that BITCH Madison is being so rude to me! You have to fire her RIGHT NOW!" Alexis tried to say. But she was unable to speak. All that came out was loud breathing.

"Hello? ...Alexis, are you there?" Her father called out, this time sounding a bit worried.

"Hello Lord, this is Madison," Madison said, having quietly walked closer to the phone. Alexis flailed around, trying to end the call, but she knew how much it meant for her father to receive a call from her. It would be mean to hang up.

"Oh, hello Madison. Why are you calling me from my daughter's phone?"

"Well actually, my Lord, it is Alexis who is calling you. She wanted to inform you that she had damaged some items in her room, and that they would need to be replaced. However, she lost her voice during the events that transpired in her room, and so she asked me to speak for her," Madison lied easily. She knew the trick to lying was to use the truth as a shield. Alexis definitely would be calling her father later for the very reason she stated.

Alexis tried to scream, to do anything to get her father's attention, but she couldn't interrupt Madison right now. It would be mean to give a bad impression of the girl.

"O-oh, alright. I'll credit your card for a couple thousand, Madison. Please get her what she desires by the weekend."

"Of course, my Lord. Will there be anything else?"

"No, nothing. Continue the good work as always, and tell Alexis I said I love her. Oh, actually, we are looking to fly you both out for a week in a month or so's time. I'll have more information for you in the next few days."

"Very well, my Lord. Have a good evening."

"The same to you."

With that, Alexis's finger finally pressed the end call button, and she exploded into expletives directed at the maid, waving her arms around and gesticulating madly. Madison ignored her and took a step closer to her. And then another step. And another, until she was a few inches away from her. Alexis could've reached out and slapped the girl, but at the same time, she couldn't have.

"Do you know how it has felt to be living in fear of those images you took of me, to be afraid that a blow is coming from you at any time?"

"SHUT UP!"

"My Lady, I don't believe I ever did anything to warrant the treatment I have received during my employment here. In fact, I believe my treatment is entirely because you enjoy exercising the position of power you hold over me. It's rather mean, you know. All I've ever tried and wanted to do is help."

"You're fucking dead, you bitch. I'm going to break out of this. And when I do..."

"And you haven't changed a bit. And yet, when I told you you were being mean by rejecting my question, you immideately responded with an answer. You've never done that before! I don't believe blowing me off before today was out of malice towards me. But once I informed you that it was mean to do so, you immideately changed your behaviour to correct this insult."

"S-shut up! Why haven't you gotten out of my room yet?"

"I apologize that my curiosity is not yet sated, my Lady," Madison purred, her voice growing noticably more content as the conversation went on and she was not struck by any flying projectiles. "You see, I have taken many etiquette courses in my preparation to be your maid, and so it merely struck me that you are unaware of how rude it is to wear shoes on a carpeted floor such as this one."

It was like Madison had set Alexis's shoes on fire. As soon as the words left her mouth, Alexis ripped the shoes off her feet and stood there holding them awkwardly. Enraged, Alexis threw the shoes at the wall as hard as she could.

"AAGH! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Unfortunately, my Lady, we are not quite done." Something about Madison's tone made Alexis bristle. She had never heard her speak to her this way.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Well, I just had a couple more things I wanted to inform you of. Because you might not be aware, or course, of what some would consider to be rude. Or even mean, you could say."

"Don't you fucking dare-"

Madison spoke over Alexis.

"As your maid, my Lady, I have always strode to help you. But due to some... issues in our communication, I have been unable to perform my duties in the most efficient manner. Take this morning, for example. I expressed that you should return by 5, in order to enjoy the meal I had prepared at it's optimal cooking time. And you returned no earlier than 6 instead. All my effort has now gone to waste, and I must prepare a new meal for you. Surely, you would now permit me to say, that it would be unkind not to follow your maid's instructions?"

"How many times, do I have to tell you, that YOU ARE BELOW ME!" Alexis shouted.

"My Lady, your anger is surely causing your body to overheat. Might I suggest taking off your shirt so you may cool down a bit?"

Alexis gasped as her fingers grasped at the hem of her shirt, quickly pulling it over her head, leaving her in a lacy black bra. She froze for a moment, and then quickly pulled her shirt back on.

"My understanding grows, my Lady. Thank you. Might I request you grant me a notebook and a pencil?"

Swearing up a storm, Alexis pulled open a drawer on her disk, fished out an empty notebook and pencil, and handed it to the maid. As Madison looked down and began to write in the notebook, Alexis saw an opportunity. Edging around the girl, she began to sprint across the room, trying to run away from her.