The Unforgettable Dream

“The Unforgettable Dream” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Ananya Naik, JSS International School, Dubai, UAE.

The Unforgettable Dream

Mr. Ruse Anther was the biggest merchant in the city of New York. His kids were twin brother and sister: Jessie and Nate. His wife, Isabella, had got fed up of Mr. Ruse’s behavior towards the poor. Today, it was Jessie and Nate’s first day of preschool. Jessie was short, cute girl with a tiny pony while Nate, with the same looks as his twin, was a short, plump boy with dashing blonde hair. Their mom insisted them going in the school bus while their dad insisted on taking them in his diamond studded limousine. “They need exposure to the external world!” said Mrs. Anther. “They are kids of the richest merchant in New York!” said Mr. Anther. As the fight between their parents went on, Jessie and Nate looked at each other with the same confused looks. What was going to happen? Soon, as the bus arrived, without another word, Mrs. Anther took them onboard and off went the bus. When Jessie and Nate came back, they told their parents how their first day at preschool was. After some years………….

Nate and Jessie are excellent kids in school and as usual, Mr and Mrs anther kept on fighting on the upbringing of the children. One night, while Nate and Jessie were finishing their composition on their adventure for school, they heard a loud bang. They rushed downstairs to check what happen. To their shock, they saw the flower vase broken, their mother on the floor and their father standing beside all red and angry.

Now, they have had enough. “pass me the laptop, charger and portable Wi-Fi jess!” hauled Nate.

“Ok. You too pass me the books, money and my phone,” said Jessie. They were going to escape from the house and they as soon they were done packing, they left for the countryside.

They had stolen the password for their father’s money vault, so they could get money when needed. They had neatly cleaned their grandmothers old house for a place to live. Now, they went around the community to make neighbors and friends. They came to know many people.

One day, when Jessie had gone to buy lunch in a nearby restaurant, while waiting, she saw a man enter in inside a vending machine. She was awestruck! She went home and told Nate about it.

“That man literally went inside it!” she exclaimed. Nate, with a sandwich in his mouth, said “youb got to be kiddingk jess!” he said. “Speak properly dumb! And it is true. You see yourself tomorrow.”

The next day, they went and saw the man entering. They soon begun to feel suspicious. After a week or so, they managed to click a photo and they examined every move of his. “He enters through the glass but enters a pin code,” said Nate. “Hmm, let’s trace his fingerprints,” said Jessie. “Let’s sleep now. We got loads of work to do tomorrow.” replied Nate. Little did they know there were prying ears outside their house, tracing each step of theirs.

Somewhere during mid-night, Jessie heard a sound. She woke up to check what happen. Soon, as she switched on the light, she found Nate missing. She frantically searched the entire house and before she could shout out, she heard a swift move. She had saw the person. She tried to follow him, but the man in the black had escaped. She filed a case and the police too tried to search for them but had not found him yet. She had lost all hopes of finding her twin. “I wonder when I will get to see my twin again.” She said, running her hand over Nate’s diary.

But she just realized what she said: TWINS. They were twins. She came up with a plan.

He looks like me and I look like him. She thought. If I disguise myself as Nate and they notice me, they are sure to go to their hideout and I can easily follow them.

The next day she disguised herself as Nate and left the house. Things went as she thought. The man saw her and walked into the vending machine. She too followed him. Inside she saw Nate injured, lying on the floor. She rushed and hugged him. But, the man saw her and the next thing what happen was that she and Nate were unconscious. She later woke to find herself in front of a phoenix. It seemed trying to tell a story. The golden wings flattered, and the emerald eyes sparkled. She took Nate and Jessie to their home in New York.

Then Jessie and Nate heard a sound: “Wake up sleepy cats! Or you will get late for school!”

They woke up to find Mr and Mrs Anther. They got all emotional and hugged them. Mr. Ruse was confused. And when they came to know about it, their mom said “Yes, we did fight but you and Jessie fainted and maybe then later you had this dream!”

“A good topic for the composition, right?” said Jessie.