If you can rub a Genie’s lamp, you will summon a powerful djinn capable of offering you three wishes of your heart’s content. However, what if you didn’t know what the Genie’s lamp looks like on account of their ability to move into any non-living thing? Well, if you are a member of the Rubbers of Los Perdedores you’ll rub everything all day long hoping for that magic moment.
The Genie Phenomenon started after young Margaret Dongweather accidentally rubbed a Genie’s lamp that was in the shape of her toy teapot. Her wishes were mostly humble and direct. She wished for a new doll, a large lollipop and her teddy bear to live. Unfortunately for Margaret, the teddy bear was not a kind anthropomorphic teddy, but a teddy bear with the mind of an actual bear. It immediately attempted to maul Margaret, before hurtling off into the wilderness. To this day, there are packs of semi-teddy’s that roam the Forbidden Woods. They are half teddy / half real bears that roam the woods with cotton paws and very real teeth.
After the Dongweather Discovery, the Djinn moved into a different vessel. It would go undiscovered for 15 years until 1903 when elderly Frostwick Shorthand’s elbow accidentally grazed a hot water bottle. The third-degree burn fused Frostwick’s elbow to the bottle. His first wish was to heal the wound. His second was for him and his friends to be immortal. His third wish was going to be to grant them all eternal youth, but due to his Alzheimer’s he forgot he made two previous wishes and so he wished for immortality again for all his friends. Thus the double immortal Elders of Shady Pines were born and the Genie again disappeared.
Immediately following Frostwick’s Folly, a group of treasure hunters were formed called the Rubbers, who went around the town of Los Perdedores rubbing anything and everything in an attempt to find the Djinn. As a result, many of the Rubbers were arrested for breaking and entering and in some cases, assault as a result of attempting to rub a hat or pendant on a person. At one point, there were upwards of 200 Rubbers running around town furiously rubbing everything from lamp posts to sanitary napkins. Yet, none have been able to find the Djinn.
In 1972, the Rubbers caused quite a bit of commotion due to an outbreak of Los Perdedores Tip Drip. The disease, identified by an oozing of pus from the fingers of the afflicted, was easily spread by the Rubbers and their need to rub objects in their hunt of the Genie. As a result of it, rubbing was outlawed in Los Perdedores. The penalty for being caught rubbing was Glorfan Finger Aglets were affixed to the guilty party’s fingers so that they could no longer rub.
Today, only a small number of Rubbers remain, operating in secret. Some believe the Genie has left Los Perdedores, but a Rubber keeps the faith and never stops rubbing. They can always be identified by their habit of grazing objects with their hands and the telltale friction burns on their fingertips.
I haven’t laughed like that in a long time! Will go around the house and try every bottle and teapot now😅
My favourite read all week! Djinn are real, right!? You’ve convinced me 😀