An Unforgettable Melody Ch. 01

Hello, again. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my submissions. If you are thoroughly confused as to what is going on, you might have missed the intro in chapter 00, so feel free to go back and read that one for some context. No song titles for this chapter, so sit back, and enjoy.

An Unforgettable Melody: Ch. 01

Oh, God... what... the hell... happened?

Mike slowly awoke in a haze, his head throbbing in pain. Forcing his eyes to blink open for a moment, he glanced at his bedside clock. 7:00 am? Dammit, that's way to early for a Saturday.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep with his headache, Mike slowly sat up in bed. Gonna need some Tylenol...

As his brain started to power up, he tried to recall what he had been doing yesterday that could have put him out like that. He knew he hadn't been drinking. Let's see, I watched a movie, got the call from the Maestro, and then... the locket! It was all coming back to him; the glowing stone, the song that opened it, that strange blue cloud...

"Good morning, Master."

Mike was suddenly scared fully awake by an unfamiliar voice coming from the corner of the room. Immediately thinking home invasion, he instinctively dove to the floor beside his bed and, opening the thumbprint gun safe beside his nightstand, retrieved his Glock 19 handgun.

Crouching on the floor by his bed, he spoke with authority. "Who are you?! How did you get into my home?!"

"Please do not be afraid, master. My apologies for startling you." The voice sounded incredibly sweet, almost angelic.

Not letting his guard down for a second, Mike slowly peeked around the foot of his bed. He could tell the voice was coming from a girl kneeling in the corner of the room. "Show me your hands. I need to see that you're not armed." He was certainly not military or police, but Mike's dad had taught him many times how to effectively protect himself in the event of a home invasion. Rule one was never to assume anything.

"Of course." The girl slowly opened her hands, extending her arms out to her side as she did so. "I can assure you that you are in no danger."

She certainly seemed harmless enough, appearing maybe twenty-five years old or so, but Mike still kept his weapon close at hand as he slowly stood up. "With all due respect, ma'am, I'll be the judge of that. Who are you? How did you get into my apartment?" He didn't see any broken windows in his bedroom, and could tell by looking out his bedroom door to the entryway that the front door was still securely locked.

The girl smiled. "Do you not remember the events of last evening? You opened my vessel, bringing me into existence. For that, I am eternally grateful, master."

"Vessel? You mean the locket? The last thing I remember was opening it, then getting blasted in the face with a cloud of blue smoke..."

Nodding, the girl continued, "Very good master. That smoke was my essence. Before you released me, I had no physical form. My essence enveloped you as it did in order to determine the proper form for me to take."

Mike held his hand up. "Woah, woah, slow down there. I'm totally lost now. Oh, and why do you keep calling me master?"

The mystery girl flashed a huge smile, lighting up the room. "Because I am your servant genie. By releasing me, I am now bound to be your slave for eternity."

Mike could see where this was going. Very cute. Stuart and the trombones must have cooked this up. The ASO low brass section was renowned for their elaborate pranks, particularly Stuart McKay, the principal tuba. Knowing them, this prank will keep going until I expose them myself. Mike decided to play along for the time being. Sensing no further danger, he laid his handgun on the bed, still within easy reach, and slipped on his glasses from the nightstand.

"Ok, so you're a genie? And you say that you now belong to me?"

"That is correct master."

Now that he had relaxed a bit, he could see that this girl was absolutely stunning, perhaps the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She wore a tight, black t-shirt with a plunging V-neck and a pair of blue jean shorts, just long enough to be tasteful and not slutty, but just short enough to show off the pale skin of her gorgeous legs. Though she was still kneeling, he could tell that they were toned to perfection. He couldn't see for sure from this angle, but it appeared that her ass was quite round and curvy, especially compared to her slim waist. Based on her slightly exposed midriff, her stomach was quite flat, and led upwards beautifully to her perky, D cup breasts. He now studied her face, which was, in a word, angelic. Perfectly proportioned, and framed by a small pair of adorable dimples, she reminded him a bit of the actress Kate Bosworth. Her eyes were an enchanting shade of emerald green. Finally, he noticed her perfectly straight hair. Tucked behind her ears and cut to just above shoulder length, it was the most beautiful shade of red wine he had ever seen in his life.

As he studied her, he suddenly realized how intently he had been staring. He broke eye contact for a moment, but she simply smiled right back at him; she didn't seem to mind one bit that he was drinking her in.

Grinning right back at her, Mike decided to see for how long she would be able to keep up the charade. "Alright then, genie. Tell me about your powers. I assume you are able to grant wishes of some kind. What kinds of wishes can you grant? And how many do I receive?"

She nodded. "Since I am your servant genie for life, you can receive an unlimited number of wishes from me, as long as they are within the realm of my nature. As a genie designed to be a sexual servant, my primary powers allow me to grant almost any wish that is in some way erotic in nature. Additionally, I am authorized with unlimited power to keep my master and myself safe from all harm, as well as healthy from any ailments. Finally, I also have extensive powers of anonymity and privacy, so as not to draw any undesired attention towards my master."

Sexual servant? Stuart's pulled crazy pranks before, but he's never done anything as off the wall as this. I wonder who this girl is? An actress? Call girl perhaps? What's the endgame of this prank?

Having had enough, and not wanting to put this poor girl through any shame or embarrassment, Mike decided to make a "wish" he knew she would be unable to grant. Wishing for a striptease, blowjob, or something else of that nature would likely be exactly what she expected him to say next. Mike, however, had a different idea.

"Very well. I'd like to make a wish. I've had a throbbing headache since the moment I woke up. This is obviously an unhealthy ailment. Without moving from the spot you're in, I wish for you to instantly cure me of my headache."

Mike was quite pleased with himself. He had phrased things very carefully by not giving her the easy out: walking to the bathroom and getting the Tylenol for him. Now, she would have no choice but to admit that the jig was up, ending the prank. However, he suddenly felt a slight tingle in the back of his mind.

Flash.

The girl's eyes shone bright gold for a split second. "It is done, master."

Mike instantly felt his headache disappear. "WOAH!" Mike stumbled backward in shock, landing square on his ass. "You actually made my headache go away?! And what about your eyes?! That tingle in my head?! What is going on here?!"

The girl was now close to tears. "Master, was this not what you wished for? The tingle you felt in your mind was my attempt to hear the thoughts behind your words, ensuring I granted your wish properly and gave you exactly what you wanted. If I have failed to deliver in your first wish, I am exceedingly sorry for disappointing you, and I gladly await any punishment you feel is appropriate for me." She then bowed, placing her nose squarely on the carpet in front of her.

Mike slowed his breathing, working to comprehend everything that had just happened. Holy shit, she was telling the truth? I released a genie from that locket? Before he could ponder the full implications of the situation, his concern for this poor girl immediately grew. He heard her whimpering as she cried from her undignified position on the floor.

Locking his handgun back in the safe, he slowly approached, kneeling in front of her. Gently placing his hand on her chin, he lifted her head until the two of them were face to face. Smiling, he said to her, "You don't need to cry, and you don't need to be afraid. I'm not disappointed in you. I'm just... surprised. I thought all of this was some big prank set up by a bunch of my friends."

His face turned more serious as he looked directly into her eyes. "I'm sorry that I didn't believe you."

A look of confusion spread across her face. "I... I don't understand. You are my master; i-it's never your place to apologize to me." Her voice began to crack as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

Dear God... this poor girl has no concept of free will. She really does see herself as my slave.

For the first time in a long time, Mike was truly terrified, on multiple levels. He was terrified for this poor girl, clearly a sentient person, but without free will. He was terrified of the powers she had described to him, that she would likely use them in any way he directed her to, no matter who could be hurt in the process.

Most of all, he was terrified for his soul. Mike was a religious man, having been raised in a Methodist church, as well as his late grandfather being a Southern Baptist minister. He knew that any and all decisions he made in his life would have to be answered for someday. While Mike didn't subscribe to the idea that all things are as black and white as a one-way ticket to either Heaven or Hell, there were certain situations in his mind that qualified as just that. Participating in the enslavement of an intelligent, sentient person was damn near the top of that list.

Taking a deep breath, Mike moved to sit cross-legged on his double bed. Seeing that the girl was still kneeling in the corner, he asked, "Why are you still kneeling there?"

She responded simply. "My master has not yet given me permission to move."

Oh... duh. No free will.

"Please, come sit here with me." Mike patted the bed. She happily stood and moved toward the bed. Mike could now see that she was rather short, maybe an inch or two shorter than him. In spite of this, however, he could tell his previous guess about her curviness were correct; she was wonderfully shaped. She sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed, face-to-face with Mike.

Gently taking her hands in his, Mike began to speak very seriously. "Genie, please understand that this situation is all very overwhelming for me. I'm trying to comprehend everything that's happened this morning. I have quite a few questions that need as straight and honest answers as you can give. Is that ok?"

"Of course, master." Her face softened with a smile.

They conversed for some time. The genie first confirmed for Mike that she was, in fact, created to be a subservient creature incapable of disobeying her master. Additionally, she explained that, as her master, she is considered his property to be dealt with as he wished. Anything about her that displeased him could be punished with isolation, beatings, torture, or even her destruction. All were within Mike's rights.

She also confirmed that her powers could be used for anything of an erotic or sexual nature, including actions considered illegal under modern law, without any consequences. Her powers could even be used to commit unspeakable acts of pain on innocents, all with the full support and encouragement from her, since she only desires what her master desires.

Mike then explained his religious background, and his apprehension to participating in any sort of enslavement, knowing full well the likely consequences when his time finally came. Seeking to comfort him, she explained that her servitude to him was thrust upon him and that, since he had no choice in the matter, the sin of her enslavement was not his burden to bear. Hearing this brought Mike to one of the most important questions he had in his mind.

"Genie, is it possible for me to free you, and, if so, how would that play out?"

She smiled sadly. "Master, you are exceedingly kind to ask such a thing. You are allowed to wish for my freedom. However, in doing so, you would merely be freeing me from my servitude to you. I do not have the power to grant a wish from you, or any master, that I no longer be bound as a servant genie altogether.

"If you were to wish for my freedom from you, I would return to my vessel, whereupon the next person to open it would become my new master. While I do not fully know the nature of my vessel, it is clear to me that, in solving the puzzle last night, you disabled some sort of magical security system that was preventing the locket from opening. As I no longer detect any magical energy from any part of my vessel, I can only hypothesize that the next person to obtain the locket would have no difficulty opening it by hand."

Hearing her explanation, Mike now knew full well that there was no easy answer to his dilemma. On the one hand, he could take custody of this girl, treating as humanely as possible, but in doing so ran the risk of what would happen to him once his number was up. Conversely, he could wish her free, clearing himself from this entire situation. However, if someone without the "outstanding moral fiber" Mike apparently possessed then claimed her, he could be condemning her to a life pain, not to mention the countless people that could be hurt by such a person gaining control of her powers. He knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he allowed that to happen.

After pondering for a few minutes, Mike finally believed he had formulated the best possible solution. Taking a deep breath, he made a wish.

"Genie, I will never view you as a slave. I know that your very nature makes you completely obedient to me, but if you truly are bound to me for life, as you say you are, then the only capacity I want you to serve me in is as an equal partner. To that end, I wish for you to have as much free will as it is possible for you to have. I wish for you to be able to enjoy everything this world has to offer you, not because I allow you to experience it, but because you deserve to experience it. Is this a wish that you can grant?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, before nodding. Tingle. Flash.

"It's done, master." Unable to hold back any longer, tears began streaming down her face.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?"

She nodded. "Master, I am wonderful. Genie servants are never supposed to expect or even hope for any kindness or consideration from their masters. It goes against our purpose of servitude. That you would use your first wish to grant me free will, it is the greatest gift I could ever imagine." She lunged forward, gripping Mike in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

Gently rubbing her back, Mike couldn't resist the call of his sarcastic wit returning to him. "It's not that big a deal. Technically, it was my second wish," he said with a smartass grin.

At first, he wasn't sure if she understood the humor. However, with a slight snort, she burst out into a full on giggle fit. "That's true I suppose!" Her laugh was intoxicating to Mike, so pure and full of life. He knew immediately that he would never get tired of trying to make her laugh.

Glancing at the clock, Mike was shocked at what time it was. "Wow! 11:15 already? No wonder I'm starving." He stood and motioned for the girl to follow him. "Would you like something to eat? You must be hungry, if you've been sitting there all night, waiting for me to wake up." Mike slipped on a pair of gym shorts and his orange Auburn University t-shirt.

She smiled. "Sure. I don't require food to exist, but it certainly helps in keeping my energy up. Plus, it's an experience I'd love to have, having never eaten before." She gasped momentarily. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said something so forward..."

Mike placed his finger over her lips, silencing her. "No apologies. That was a very good thing you said. That's the free will I wished for you to have beginning to shine through. Embrace it, don't fight it."

She smiled. "I'll try. This is just such a big adjustment for me. It will take some time."

"I understand," Mike replied, making his way into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he asked her, "is leftover pizza ok?"

"Sure. I've never eaten before, but my powers do give me a basic concept of the modern world and the things in it. Pizza is baked cheese and tomato sauce on a bread-like crust, right?"

"You got it." Mike placed four slices on a plate and stuck it in the microwave. As their food warmed up, he turned to the girl. "I've got to apologize. I just now realized that I haven't even asked your name until now. I assume your name isn't genie, is it?

She giggled. "You can call me anything you wish, but no, genie is not my name. That would be like me calling you human."

Mike immediately understood. "That makes sense. You aren't the Hulk after all."

"Hulk?" Her eyes narrowed. Tingle. "Oh, right. PUNY HUMAN!!!" She raised her arms above her head doing her best Hulk impersonation. As Mike laughed at the spot on impression, she continued, "as far as my name is concerned, I don't have one yet. The privilege of naming me is yours alone."

"Wow, ok. Let me think..."

Mike had never named anything before, except a goldfish while he was in kindergarten. He ran through a few names in his head. Let's see... Sarah? Nah, too boring. Hope? Nice name, but... she doesn't really look like a Hope. As he continued trying to think of the perfect name, the microwave signaled that the pizza was ready. As he pulled the food out and separated it onto two plates, he absentmindedly started whistling, as he often did when some tune was stuck in his head. He froze halfway through as he finally realized the perfect name.

"Melody."

"Pardon?" Sitting at the table, she couldn't completely hear him from the kitchen.

With a big smile on his face, Mike brought the food and a couple of Cokes to the table. "Your name is Melody."

She sat for a moment, basking in the moment. "I love it!" She leapt out of her chair, throwing her arms around Mike's neck and bouncing up and down in sheer joy. "I love it, love it, LOVE IT!" When she finally came down from her excitement, she gently took his face in her hands. "Thank you, master."

"Oh, and one more thing. I'd much prefer you to call Mike, not master. Ya know, that whole 'equal partner' thing."

"Of course mast- Mike."

Mike smiled. "Now, you need to sit down and eat your first meal, before it gets cold. Unless you're one of those crazy people that LIKES cold pizza."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, right! I totally forgot!"

As Melody took her first bite, the look on her face said it all. She was in heaven. "This. Is. AWESOME! Oh my God, this is great. Good thing I'm a Genie, or I'd probably eat so much of this that I'd blow up like a balloon!"

"Well, if you like that, you'll love the Coke."

She took the cold can in hand and took a large sip. "Oh, this is good too... oh wow! The bubbles! They tickle on the way down!"

Mike laughed. "That's how you know they mixed it well."

As she continued to dig into her food, Mike couldn't help but sit back and take in her unbridled joy at each new experience she was having. As he leisurely ate his lunch, Mike again couldn't help but admire her. The angelic face, gorgeous hair, and her glorious cleavage, just peeking through her V-neck shirt, he was entranced by all of it.