Dark Descendants-Isle of the Lost

Cramp In The Lamp

JAY WATCHED THE STARS TWINKLE IN THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT SKY FROM HIS SPOT ON THE ROOF, marveling at the tiny but beautiful mark they made there.

He wished he could be like a star, far away from here and bright, making their spot in the night sky that was beautiful and intricate as a flower.

Instead, he was useless and stupid. At least, that's what his father told him. He also told him to go get more lamps and crackers for his stupid pet parrot.

Jay jumped off the roof, tucking into a neat roll once he met the ground and got up. He pulled out the things he'd stolen from the hidden pockets in his shirt: three lamps, two jewels, a hairbrush, and two packs of crackers. He held one of the lamps in his hand, studying its patterns and designs and rubbing it as hard as he could.

Nothing happened. No genie. No poof of magic. Not even a "Who's there?".

He sighed. "I wish... that I could get out of here."

He looked at the lamp hopefully as if it would get the thing to work. It didn't.

He sighed again and slipped the lamp back into his pocket, trying the others.

Rub.

"I wish I could get out of here."

Nothing.

Rub.

"I wish I could get out of here."

Nothing.

Jay just shook his head, putting the rest of his items away and placing his head in his hands. "Why can't I get out of here?"

Like Carlos, he'd tried to run away about two times before he gave up because of how bad the punishments were for being caught.

"Jay!" Jafar called out angrily. "Get back in here!"

Jay jumped at his voice. He hadn't thought his father had seen him. Then his shoulder slumped as he processed the words that had been said. He trudged inside their tiny lamp-shaped house (some sick sense of humor the people of Auradon had.)

Jafar held out his hand for the items he'd requested. His dark red and black turban held a serpent-shaped jewel in the middle, and he was wearing a black jumpsuit with a red sash around the middle. His serpent staff was in his hands, even though it held absolutely no powers at all.

Jay had brought more than what was requested, but Jafar didn't complain. He tucked all of them into his red carpet bag, smiling coldly. "Good street-rat."

Jay hung his head at the insult, even though that was what he practically was. He looked at the dinner table. "Oh, sweet! You got some food."

He walked over and started to pick up the stale bagel and put it in his mouth.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jafar thundered, his eyes pulsating with anger.

Jay froze and dropped the food as if it were fire. "But I thought..."

"You thought I would give you the food I rightfully earned?" Jafar asked incredulously. "Ridiculous!"

"But then what am I-?"

"Clean everything up," Jafar demanded, gesturing to the mess he'd made in the table.

"But you didn't even finish..."

"Did I ask for back-talk?" Jafar snapped. "Get to work."

"What do I do with the leftovers?" Jay asked, silently hoping he could have it. He crossed his fingers.

To his dismay, Jafar just replied, "Throw it to the crows. They must get so hungry sometimes."

At that exact moment, Jay's stomach growled loudly.

Jafar sent him a smug look, pretending that he was trying to conceal it for his sake, but then he would've looked away. "You need to learn some self-control."

Jay held back a yell of anger at the unfairness of it all. Why did the crows get food, but not Jafar's own son?

He knew the answer. His dad was drunk. Not on alcohol, because that wasn't allowed on the island; he was drunk on power. The power over his son.

He'd always been power-hungry; that's what lead to the whole fiasco between him and Alladin in the first place. But when he was stripped away from any power, except over his son...

He grasped at the opportunity to have some control. And, through his son, he'd found it.

Jay scowled and began to pick things up, his stomach growling wistfully as he threw the food out the window and into the yard. It was gone within seconds of it hitting the ground.

He bit his lip. His father was right about one thing, at least- the crows definitely needed some food, however spoiled it was.

He then cleaned off the table, swept, washed the dishes and the clothes, and did basically everything else.

The whole time, he kept stealing glances out the window. At the stars. Rooting him on.

Go, Jay!

Clean up those dishes! Uh-huh!

He wrinkled his nose. He was disgusted at himself for being so cheesy, but kept imagining the tiny voices anyways, feeling his heart uplift with every made-up word.

He wondered what the world was like out there, out in Auradon. Was it dark and smelly, like the Isle? Did they have crows there, too? Did they ever get to see what those weird thingies were that slid down the side of the dome? Did they get to feel them?

He wanted to be there so bad. In fact, anywhere away from here was okay.

But there was no way that he was going to escape. So that was that. He had to just hope that someday things would get better, because if he didn't...

He shook his head. It had to happen. He had to get out of there somehow, someway, someday. Without hope, there was no reason to live.

Finally finished with his chores, Jay went over to the black mat on the ground that was his bed and curled up on his side, dreaming of being free and out of the claustrophobic house he presided in.

He had no idea that, clear over in the Evil Queen's castle, Evie was doing almost the exact same thing.