Riches. That’s all I really wanted. Being tucked in every day, my beautiful mother would tell me a story that I had been eager to  listen to all day. My eyes would dilate as the exposition of the story poured out of her mouth. Looking at me, her eyes rivers of gold, she began:

Once upon a time there was a stinky old peasant. This peasant was met by a genie  named Gabriel. The peasant, Orion , listened to the genie  as he told him his fate.  “Follow me and you are destined for the greatest riches but question my decisions and you will be left to die.” So Orion followed the genie through the desert. Not a word was said by Orion  throughout the rigorous journey. They faced raging winds and scorching deserts. Past mountains and rivers, canyons and valleys. Until they reached it. It was a palace made of gold, glistening from the sun. Moats of the sweetest honey flowed under the emerald drawbridge. Fountains of silver flowed in the center hall. It was a beautiful sight. And it was all his.

Finally, I have found it!. After years of searching, I have finally found it! Just laying there in its golden brushed glory. A lamp. A lamp with a small etching "Gabriel" on the side. There it lay, halfway drowning in the sand. I scramble to my knees as I grab the lamp with my shaky hands. Sweat rolls down my face and into my eyes as I reflect on the glorious riches that can come from this very lamp. I place my hand on the side of the lamp. I rub my sweaty hand on the lamp. One. Two. Three.
Pink smoke flies out of the nozzle and the sky goes gray. Out of the smoke came Gabriel. "Who dare wake me from my sleep!" Said Gabriel in an all mighty voice.
"Who...who are you?" I said prevaricating.
"You know very well who I am" Gabriel responded. "As for you Whinston, I have been expecting you"
I quiver with fear. My body shaking as sweat rolls down my eyes. I must be dreaming. The heat of the desert sun must have me hallucinating. No. I've waited to long. It has to be real.    
“Follow me and you are destined for the greatest riches but question my decisions and you will be left to die. You have three chances."
I follow the floating genie through the desert. Countless hours seem to pass through my racing mind.
"Take your sandals off," commans the genie. Without question, I take my sandals off. My soft feet gingerly touched the sand. The scorching sand makes me wince in pain as I jump up in the air. I keep going.
As we pass through the desert I catch a glimpse of a city, laying on the horizon. We keep going towards it. I get excited thinking it was a palace, waiting for me to claim it as my own. After a countless time that seemed like forever, we reach the city. “Welcome to Alexandria” said a sign that introduced us to the city. Thats very unusual I thought, knowing that hours ago, we were miles away from here.
We begin exploring the streets of the city. Everything seems normal except for one thing, there is not a single living soul in the city. We keep walking through until we reach the docks of the Red Sea. Sitting on the sea, is a beautiful yacht and on that yacht is a rich looking man, that looks rather like me. (I actually think it was me) The yacht was glistening white, with a long blue stripe running down the end of it. Gabriel silently goes up to the yacht, floating of course. He pulled a sharp object out of his  pocket, like a rock, and ran it down the boat, making a long, hideous scratch.
“Why would you do that!” I  asked him.
“Strike One !” Gabriel said in his all mighty voice. “There are pirates coming in from the sea. They won't want a scratched boat. They will leave the man alone.”
I curse under my breath because of my stupidity.
“I heard that” said Gabriel.
We keep going through the city. It seemed to spring to life as we walk through the buzzing streets. Suddenly, we bumped into two children, a boy and a girl. They seem to not notice us, as if we didn't even exist. They were using their frail, dirty hands to dig a hole under a wall of a building. Next to them was a little sac, all tattered and smudged. It has a smudged out label that barely read: "Savings". After they were done digging, the boy grasped his nimble fingers around the sac of money and dropped it in the miniature hole. They quickly covered it in dirt and huddle to the street corner to beg for more money, shaking their poor, innocent hands to the selfish and greedy public. 
Gabriel then floats to the previously dug hole, and digs out the sac. He takes it and hides it in a sewer drain.
"Why would you do that Gabriel! That was their money!"
"Strike two" said Gabriel, "That wall was going to be destroyed along with that building. Workmen are replacing it. After they finish begging, they will find it where I put it."
My mind rages with furiousity. I have to stay silent if I want to get to my prize.
As we walk through the city, the buildings seem to disappear. Less and less people walking along the streets the further we travel. The city seemed to vanish before my eyes. before I knew it, we were back in the desert. As grow more tired and exhausted, I look down at my feet. There were blisters on every surface. The numbness of my blistered feet is the only thing keeping me from feeling the rigorous pain.  I have to keep going.
Finally, the time arrives. After the countless hours that I walked, I could not feel my feet. It felt as if I was floating across the surface of the earth, like Gabriel. I could feel my stomach in knots, thriving for sustenance. Over the horizon I see it. It was my palace. It was all mine. I quickly switch from a hefty huddle to a speedy sprint. It seemed to grow as the closer I get to it. With his all-mighty voice, Gabriel meticulously commands “ Stop! You may not have your prize yet! ”
My mind fills with furiosity once again like a balloon, about to pop. “Why can't I have my palace! Its mine and I deserve it! “ Gabriel gives me a grave look that fills my body with fear. “ Strike three,” he says in a slow, stern voice. “If you had the slightest bit of patience, I would have let you go claim your prize. But your acts of greed and impatience are what hold you back. You have failed me Whinston, its over.” With a snap of his fingers he vanished out of the air. My hands shaking with fear. Is it really over?
I turn around to where my palace was. Gabriel had taken it with him. Nothing lies within miles of this place. Everything was gone. All my dreams were crushed. All my life, this was all I wanted and it's all gone. I lose all hope as I realize I am stranded. It really is all over. Like Gabriel, my life is vanishing before my eyes. Everything I ever loved, gone. But not everything is gone. I feel a spark inside of me. My eyes widen and my pupils dilate as I realized my mistakes. It is much bigger than it seems.
All my life I have been selfish and greedy. Unless I gained something, I would refute any offer made to me. I never donated anything to anybody or gave consideration to anything. It was only during the journey with Gabriel that I realize how my heart had opened up. I felt bad for the orphans and feared for the man’s boat. But my selfishness took me over. Now I have learned my lesson, and that is better than any palace or castle, but it's still too late now. Well played Gabriel. Well played.