The Spy Around the Corner

“The Spy Around the Corner” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Brooke Horne, Blue Ridge Elementary School, USA.

The Spy Around the Corner

“Hurry up, Jessi! I would like to make it to Splash Mountain before the end of the day.” Jessica still hadn’t figured out that you are supposed to walk fast in Disneyland.

“I’m coming. Hold your horses,” she said as she picked up her feet. Hanna looked straight at her sister. She always felt a little intimidated when she looked at Jessica’s perfect blue eyes or her beautiful profile, but this wasn’t the time to feel intimidated. After all, Jessi was six years younger than Hanna.

“I’m sorry.” Hanna felt the six-year-old gazing into her own eyes. Hanna turned to say sorry but was distracted by a blinking light off in the distance.

“I will be back,” Hanna said with reassurance. Hanna jogged to the light, but out of the blue she couldn’t breathe.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up.” Jessi was rolling Hanna off the bed. Luckily, gymnastics taught her good reflexes and Hanna caught herself. “We are going to Disneyland today and Mom says if you don’t get up she is going to leave you behind.” Jessica started to laugh hysterically.

“Funny.” Hanna got out of her wooden bed and leisurely made her way to the henna colored bathroom. “Hey, where is my toothpaste?” Hanna asked with query.

“In your hair.” Jessi said with a leer. She tip toed off and left Hanna staring at her pasty hair in the mirror.

Later that day after Hanna had rinsed her hair with everything she could imagine, including Hair Mess Away, the Hanson family was ready and packed for the rousing trip ahead of them.

“How long does it take to get to Disneyland? Ooh, can we stop at Dairy Freeze on the way? Can we go to the grocery store and get churro samples? I just love churro samples.” Jessi rambled to herself practically the whole trip except for when she had about a two second nap.

“Can you be quiet for two seconds?” Jessi did exactly what Hanna wished for and took a two second power nap. When they arrived at their hotel, Hanna and Jessi relished the pink walls of their room. “It looks like my room back at home!” Jessica exclaimed with elation. The next morning arrived as quick as a turtle running in a race.

“The night was like two hours.” Jessi whined,” it was so long.” Hanna laughed at this knowing Jessi had no idea what sarcasm was. Hanna’s mind retraced back to her previous dream. It was a duplicate of the dream beforehand. She wondered what it meant. Hanna checked the clock. She was supposed to meet her parents at 7:00 am.

“Hurry up Jessi, I would like to make it to Splash Mountain before the end of the day.”

“I’m coming. Hold your horses.” Wait was Hanna’s dream coming true, but where was the blinking light in the distance? “I’m sorry.” A blinking light in the distance distracted Hanna before she could say she was also sorry. Hanna ran to see what was happening. She couldn’t breathe and had passed out.

“Hello. My name is Detective Jones. I’m here to recruit for an important mission. I know you don’t have any background as being a spy, but in my files, it says you are an advanced gymnast and are only 4’ 4”, which is exactly what we need. Will you be willing to volunteer, Ms. Hanna Hanson?” Hanna’s mind was racing with busy thoughts like who was this guy and where in the world was she. Was she being kidnapped, but most importantly where was Jessi? Was she lost? What if she couldn’t find Mom or Dad?

“Where…where is Jessica, mmm…...my sister?” Hanna mumbled out. Her throat was tight, her eyes overwhelming with tears. An answer was not received until later, for she had passed out.

“Your sister is safe with your parents. We have a clone of you, so everything is just fine.”

“I’ll do it,” Hanna said with confidence.

“I’m sorry?” the detective asked.

“I’ll be the spy. I’m up to it.”

“Oh, wonderful,” the detective said cheerfully. “Your mission is in the grounds of Disneyland… you are supposed to find a hidden bomb that we believe is hidden in your favorite ride, Splash Mountain. Alright you are to be released.” He tightened black, shadowy tie and left the room and before she knew it, Hanna was on her way to Splash Mountain.

“A bomb?” Hanna mumbled to herself most of the way. She was good at finding hidden Mickeys, but a bomb?

After many hours of riding Splash Mountain, she couldn’t find the bomb. She was going to search only one more time or she was going to get sea sick. As she walked to the Fast Pass line, a familiar backpack was in front of her eyes and she heard a little girl’s voice. “What time is it, Hanna?” Oh, no what if they noticed her! She let the proceeding people go in front of her, but Hanna knew Jessica too well. Soon she would be asking clone Hanna to take her to the churro stands just to talk to the bakers and ask how the churros are made. She knew it was too good to be true that she hadn’t gotten out of line because next Jessi came down the line with the clone Hanna to go to the next-doorWinnie the Pooh ride to calm Jessi’s nerves bubbling inside of her.

“Party of one? Is there a party of one over here?” Hanna raised her hand with regret because soon she was pulled to the front of the crowd and sure enough she was being lead to the soaking wet log where her family sat.

“Hi.” Jessica said to Hanna. “You know what?” Hanna nodded her head. “You look a lot like my sister, Hanna. “What’s your name?” Jessica asked as the log moved and rocked.

“My name is also Hanna except there is a h at the end of my name.” Great cover up, Hanna thought. Just wonderful.

“How did you know my name was spelled with no h at the end?” clone Hanna asked.

“I can see it on your back pack. I put my name there too.”

“Awesome.” Good thing clone Hanna wasn’t that smart because Hanna sure didn’t feel it. Her parents were in the back of the boat and never payed any attention to people in front of them because they are too busy holding on for their dear lives, so Hanna didn’t have to worry about them noticing what she looked like.

“What if I fail this mission?” Hanna asked herself. She was close to saying it aloud, but then remembered she was in Splash Mountain looking for clues and maybe even the bomb. What looks like a bomb? What does a bomb even look like? Well I’m pretty sure it blinks like a flashing light, but that’s in the movies. Hanna kept on thinking to herself on and on until she got a marvelous thought. Cameras blink and flash, they could be the bombs. As soon as their log approached the 50-foot dropshe made sure with herself that she wouldn’t blink. Down they went. Water splashing into each of their laps. Hanna looked up to see black circles all around the area. The bombs! She tried to reach the bombs, but she was too short. “Next time,” Hanna thought. She ran away before Jessi would talk to her. Hanna admired her in that way, she wasn’t afraid of talking to new people.

Hanna quickly got into the large line again. After about an hour, she got to the front of the line and took her favorite spot of the front, but then remembered she needed to grab the bombs without being noticed. She climbed over the other seats and sat onto the lightly wet back seat. She was so deep in thought throughout the ride that she almost didn’t realize the drop was seconds of way. Luckily the people in front of her started to scream and just like that she was plummeting through the air! She snatched the object and hoped it wasn’t caught on camera all while having to make sure she didn’t make too much noise. She looked down at the object and had realized she had completed the mission! She made her way to the secret headquarters of the agency and directly asked for Mr. Jones.

“Right this way.” Hanna was lead to the same office she met Mr. Jones. “Mr. Jones, I did it! I retrieved both bombs and all without being caught.” Before she got an answer, her body was being rolled over...“I did it Mr. Jones. I did it,” Hanna mumbled.

“Wake up Hanna, we are here.” Hanna woke up to see the hotel and it looked exactly as it did in her dream. After they got settled in their Disney themed hotel, their luggage came.

“I have a package for Miss Hanna Hanson from Mr. Jones. Have a good time,” the concierge politely said.

“Oh, believe me I will,” Hanna said with assurance as she opened up the details of her next mission.