Helium

2

He

1s²

Helium

Eden lounged in her cocoon of luxury. She caressed the soft skin of her curvaceous figure. Her exposed, flat belly rippled with muscles. A long, silk skirt hung low around her hips. Her beaded brassiere sparkled with fuchsia sequins. Pink scarves adorned her head. Long blonde hair was braided and intricately wrapped in a bun, 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 silk 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, Eden 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?

Eden heard a noise just outside her bedroom walls.

“Eden, I’m home,” her master’s voice resonated.

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

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

Eden’s eager form shifted into a gaseous state. Helium rose her form up into the air. She ascended, exiting through the roof of her bedroom. She landed before her master. Her form relinquished its gaseous state, returning her to a human-like existence.

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