HELIUM

Aurora lounged in a cocoon of luxury. She caressed the soft skin of her curvaceous figure. Her exposed belly appeared flattened with muscles. A long, silk skirt hung low around her hips. Her beaded brassiere sparkled with sequins. Colorful scarves adorned her head. Long black hair hung to her waist, shimmering under an exquisitely jeweled headpiece.

She couldn’t complain about her exorbitant surroundings. Rich tapestries draped the walls of her bedroom. The enormous bed easily accommodated ten women. Plenty of room for a sultan and his harem. But only she occupied its satin sheets and vibrantly colored silken pillows.

Her head, cradled in opulence, dreamed of escaping from her solitary confinement. She’d lost track of time. How long had she been here? She craved human contact. Imprisonment kept her from the outside world. With no windows and no doors, Aurora nearly lost her mind.

She could never leave this room. Not unless her master allowed it. She wondered what had happened to him. Hours turned to days, days into weeks, and weeks into months. What if he never returned? Did anyone else know he’d trapped her in this room?

Aurora heard a noise just outside her bedroom walls.

“Aurora, I’m home,” her master said, his voice resonated the air.

Aurora smiled with anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see him, couldn’t wait to abandon the solitude of her surroundings.

She stood up and adjusted her scarves just so. She checked her appearance in the mirror, pleased with her beautiful reflection. She walked to the center of the room, waiting for her master to release her.

Aurora’s eager form shifted into a gaseous state. The helium rose her spirit up into the air. She ascended upwards, exiting through the roof of her bedroom. She landed before her master. Her form relinquished it’s gaseous state, returning her to a human-like existence.

“Hello, Master,” the genie said, finally released from her bottle.