THE MONKEY’S MAW
A Tale of Horror
“Three wishes? Don’t make me laugh! That’s a silly Djinn in the bottle fable, rub three times nonsense …”
“Don’t you mean, the Genie?”
“The demonic spirit person is called a Djinn and the word “genie” comes from that - now don’t interrupt”
“Sorry!”
“If we don’t listen - we don’t learn.”
“I said I was Sorry.”
“You can SEE a genie. Djinn means ‘hidden’ and that makes all the difference. Besides, these are mischievous spirits who are bored and like to confuse humans, toy with them - often to the point of madness.”
“Seeing is believing.”
“ I was about to discuss it with you. What is hidden from our eyes is the real world and not the visible part we think we live in.”
“You’re saying blind people live in the real world and sighted people don’t?”
“Try very hard not to open your ridiculous mouth for the next few minutes. Instead, open your ridiculous mind.”
“Listen - I don’t like you. I only came here because of the Advertisement. I knew it would be bullshit - but - heck...what if it wasn’t? But you act like you’re better or smarter than me and I don’t need your insulting …”
“Silence! Now sit down and listen carefully. I know exactly why you’ve come here. Only a certain sort of idiot answers that sort of advertisement. I know what you are and how important it is for you to hear my secret. Go over to the chair and sit.”
“Yes-s-s-s, Sir-r-r-r. You sound like my Father. Or the priest I had as a child. No back-sass! Okay, I’m sitting. I’m listening. I’ll play this out and go along to get along. Lay it on me.”
“Very well. Once I begin the unveiling - the reveal - you aren’t allowed to leave this room - that is - until I say it is okay …”
“I can leave any time I choose to!”
“Of course you can but don’t miss the point of staying. If you leave you’ll be dead inside of three hours!! Now just shut up and let’s get this done.”
“Dead? Are you threatening me?”
“I have three questions for you and if you answer them all with a “Yes”, I’ll give you just ONE wish granted. Anything your heart and mind can conceive will be granted.”
“What do I get if I answer “No” on any question?”
“You wouldn’t like it. At all. I’ll have to turn you over to the Djinn in that box in the corner.”
“I think you mean ‘Jack’ in the box and not Jinn.”
“Here is your first question: DO YOU BELIEVE in an Almighty God of any description?
“I suppose so. I mean - “Yes.”
“Here is your second question: IF Almighty God asked you to try and talk Him out of destroying the whole world again - would you try?”
“Oh, Jeeze - you are a real piece of work! Okay. Umm...Sure; I mean “Yes” but what good would it do? Ya know?”
“ I am an Archangel and an emissary from Almighty God and am authorized to ask the third and final question. God will agree to refrain from destroying this world if you will agree to die in place of every person on Earth. What is your answer?”
“Hey - I’m no theologian or scholar - but I’m smart enough to know the story. Do you know? In the Bible? Jesus already did that. He died in place of all the sinners.”
“I need your Yes or No.
“As I said- this isn’t necessary and -oh! I see you getting angry. Your face is all red. So, um. Okay. Yes, I’ll die in place of all the others. How’d I do? Did I pass the quiz?”
“You may get up now and walk over to that large box in the corner.”
“What? Dammit, you said if I answered ‘Yes’ to everything I would have my request granted. I’m not going over to any damned box and letting some genie pop out and kill me!”
“Shut up, you Fool, and take this spike and hammer. Lift the lid on that box and drive it into the heart of the Djinn inside - and be quick about it or it will awaken and devour you whole!”
“I listened to what you said and that means if and - I do mean IF- there is a Jinn in that box it will be hidden or invisible and I won’t be able to see it or overpower it and certainly not be able to kill it before it gets me!!”
“So you are saying your request - your WISH is to be allowed to leave and exempt yourself from our bargain?”
“Wh-what? What kind of …? I...I...Let me think a moment. If I walk out of here I’ll never know if any of this was true - which it almost certainly isn’t. But - if I go over to that box and open it - well...I am almost certainly going to die for real. I...I just don’t know what to say or do.”
“Shall I tell you my little secret? It might help you choose wisely.”
“Lay it on me. I give up.”
“I Am the Djinn and I have the Christ trapped inside the box. My hand may not strike Him or harm Him in any way - but humans are always capable of destroying Him, disbelieving Him, and rendering his sacrifice as null and void.”
“You’re crazy! You’re a lunatic - or worse! You’re a Professor of Psychology conducting an experiment. But you don’t look invisible to me. I can SEE you and that is a refutation of your ‘hidden’ Jinn definition. So what’s this all about? What’s the game here?”
“You are free to leave - but you’ll be dead within 3 hours. You can walk over to the box and drive the spike into Him and I’ll grant your request - your one wish. Or, last - but not least - you can use your wish and I’ll exempt you from our oral contract. But you must decide now. I have about a dozen other applicants eager to have wishes granted. Choose NOW!”
“I’m not insane. You are! I hereby formally request - or WISH - that my contract be voided I will be allowed to leave without any threat of death. Is that good enough for you?”
“As you wish. Just one more fact for you before you go…”
“Lay it on me...what is it?”
“Djinns always tell lies. Have a fine afternoon and tell the next applicant to come in as you’re leaving. Goodbye!”
“Stop! Wait - I withdraw my wish - is it too late to do that? Oh never mind - you’d just lie to me. I mean -IF you are a Jinn you would lie and that means you are NOT a Jinn - except -
You just told me Jinns always lie - so THAT must not be true ...God damn it! I’m going insane trying to get myself out of this!! You - you MONSTER!”
“No take-backs. Djinns love to monkey with your mind. Begone now and don’t let the door hit you in your ass as you leave. But - since I’m a liar - you’ll be dead in 3 hours anyway. Or will you?”
________
THE END
Cambridge Dictionary
Maw: something that seems to surround and devour everything near it