Joanna began to lose faith in the lamp, which appeared to be nothing more than an ornate model. How stupid she had been to believe in such fantasies! Yet, slowly, the lamp began to grow warm in her palms. A searing wave of heat nearly burned her skin, and the small metallic lamp clanked to the floor. Joanna watched in horror while the scene grew far out of her control.
Wisps, then puffs, then billows of smoke started to pour from the spout of the lamp. Blobs of the thick cloud began to coalesce into floating bits and pieces. The disorder and disarray took shape as if attracted to itself, and soon, Joanna saw the thin outline of a human form. Spurts of dull color flowed through the cloud, and it lowered itself upon the ground. A final stage of the effect rippled over the smoke's surface, creating a nearly solid model of a human. The creature opened its eyes, and Joanna gasped.
Smokey outline and pure white eyes aside, she was staring at a mirror image of herself.
