Bobo stumbles into the Magic Mansion. He entreats old friend Sardo to take custody of a small metal casket, marked with symbols. After some deliberation, Sardo reaches to accept the casket. With a splutter of laughter, Bobohe leaves.
In a game of dodgeball, Jason Midas is knocked to the floor. In the bustling school corridor, he nervously approaches Andrea, but is interrupted by the bell. On the way home, Jason sees Andrea walking the same quiet street as he. Overcome with nerves, he hurries into the shelter of the nearest shop - the Magic Mansion. Inside, Sardo quickly perceives his lack of self-confidence, and offers Bobo's metal box - which he quickly dubs a Persian Victory Box.
At home, Jason lays the box on the coffee table, puts his hand on the box, and wishes to be attractive to girls. His mother calls him for dinner. As Jason leaves, the box starts to rattle. From beneath its lid wafts vapour, followed by pink light…
Next day, as Jason reaches into his locker, a flash of white light flares briefly behind him. He finds himself face to face with Belle, a young woman with bobbed white hair. Down the bustling corridor, she follows him. In English class, Jason sits down. Behind him sits Belle. For the report on Treasure Island he left at home, she tells him to look in his bag. With a whoosh, it appears therein. The teacher has him read it out loud, and is displeased to find it a jumble of references to various film adaptations.
Merrily followed by Belle, Jason forlornly returns to the gym for another game of dodgeball. As Belle watches, Jason suddenly finds the ball to fly out of his hands with peerless speed and precision. Brad takes vindictive aim at Jason, and throws a ball. Jason cringes - and the ball, inches before impact, falls to the floor. Awed, Jason picks up the ball, and throws it back. Brad ducks - and the ball smacks into the face of the PE teacher.
Now with two detentions under his belt, Jason, followed by Belle, steps outside. She explains the wish-granting properties of the metal box, the Zemi. Jason wishes he didn't have to walk home. With a zap, Jason finds himself stood before a tan roofless sports car. In the driver’s seat, with Belle in the passenger's, Jason dons a pair of leather gloves and shades. Before he can even turn the key, the wail of a siren is followed by a police car which parks directly behind him. The cop asks to see license and registration.
...
Jason and Belle are in prison - the cops suspect the car to have been stolen. Jason, vexed at the disastrous consequences of Belle's wish granting, wishes to be left alone. The cell vanishes into total darkness. Beneath a faint spotlight, Jason ponders the situation. Alarmed, he wishes for Belle's return. Jason wishes to be back at the Magic Mansion. So saying, he finds himself swiftly spun around on the spot. When he stops, he finds himself amidst passing cars, on the daylighted road by the Magic Mansion. A driver yells. In the shop, he explains his genie predicament to Sardo, who offers to refund the "Persian Victory Box" for store credit.
At Jason's house, Jason and Sardo reach for the coffee table where sits the Zemi. In flash of white, Belle materialises, with a hand laid on the box. Sardo, she explains, can't reclaim the Zemi, having given it up. In despair, Jason sinks onto the sofa, and wishes to be out of this nightmare. He opens his eyes - and finds himself in the living room of a strange house. An alarmed resident runs outside to her returning policeman husband. In seconds, two more police cars arrive.
Jason wishes for Sardo to have a wish. Sardo wishes for a million wishes. With a flash of white light, he vanishes into the Zemi. Belle, now stood in his place, realises herself to be free. Inside the box, a miniaturised Sardo peers up Jason and Belle. He has a million wishes - which he has to grant to others. Belle laughs maniacally, and bounds for the door.
In desperation, Jason wishes for it to be yesterday. In a blur, countless instances from today and yesterday fly in reverse around him. Jason finds himself back on the street where stands the Magic Mansion. Across the road, he sees Andrea. After a pause for thought, he runs to the door of the shop. Before it, he hesitates. Instead, he approaches Andrea, and they arrange to see a movie. They pass the shop widow. The curtains part. Sardo leans through, and puts on display a strange metal box...
...
From his bag, Tucker takes a metal box, just like in the story. The others run in alarm - except for Quinn, who lies groaning on the sofa.
This episode provides examples of:
- Becoming the Genie: Jason, via a wish, bequeathes his wishes to Sardo, who then wishes for a million wishes. This frees Belle, and traps Sardo in the Zemi - until a final wish from Jason reverses the whole predicament.
- Been There, Shaped History: In response to the incautious wishes of Zemi custodians, Belle caused various disasters.
- Freeing the Genie: Jason makes a wish for Sardo to have a wish, and inadvertently frees Belle from the Zemi.
- Laughing Mad: Belle, on being freed from the Zemi.
- Never Trust a Title; While the solution involves reversing time to the previously, there's nothing that constitutes a time trap in this story.
- Shout-Out: Possibly to both Bedazzled (1967) and its 2000 remake; a confidence-challenged young man, by a malicious yet playful entity, is granted wishes which go hideously wrong. The entity takes the form of a flirtatious young woman. At the end, free of his supernatural obligations, the young man finds resolve to build his own self-confidence.
- Wishplosion: Jason wishes to return to yesterday - and time is reversed to a point before he acquired the Zemi.
