The Dream Boy

f raised eyebrows toward me as if I'd

n't seem to occur to him. "I am Ren Ezekiel,

im. "Please, Mr. Ren," I said. "Tell me the

y. I am the prince of Whistlewood Kingdom and the– elder son of William Ezekiel, the king and head of Willow Win

daze. "I don't understand. There's no place like that ar

taining his irritation. "And I never repeat myself. This is w

ce, set off by his totally alien language from the reality I knew. It was as though

room. The sharp, irritating sound tore me out of the moment, leaving me with a sense of frustrati

ther room to pick up the p

I could speak the full sentence

yet?" he asked, jus

t-time job-" I was in

hink you can pay us back with a part-tim

I tried to explain, b

to say? Cut the act now. Enough bullshit. Did I not ask for Y

pted, but once more, he prev

ck. It will be my life's mission to torture you if you ever try to escape. Addres

rst time ever, I managed to finish one

entire time. It felt like I could never relax when talking to him. Just talking to him h

ho was claiming to be a prince from some kingdom n

combination of incredulity an

ed a little to my voice. "Umm, it was a total

e like you, and I have work to do, so... wait,

that?" he asked,

l day with everyone running around him waiting on him hand and foot? But you..." I

t no one ever considers me as a person," he said with a hint of sorrow in his voice.

people. Forget it. Let's just try to make sense of all this. You're a prince of W

is also on Earth. Don't treat me lik

. Let me send a text first; otherw

too?" he enquired, worry lines

ome on, let's keep it real here, you know that princes don't exist anymore, at least not here. How can you claim to

al one!" He said chortling loudly. "By the way

my confusion because I looked at him,

tilted his head to one side. "How does it function? I mean, I was unde

ing you don't know what this i

he retorted, his eyes narrowing, on

ime travel?" I asked, trying to keep my

ourse, I didn't! Time trav

m for a moment then as

e, he asked, "It i

red and sighed more deeply than I n

it were, this might explain a lot." He paused, frowning. "This place is

does that even make any sense?" I asked, stunned by the way he easily questioned the impossible. But I realized that it really did not

learly baffled manner. "I thought I was staying here," he replied in a wa

nto laughter or be scared out of my wits. It started happen

ather forlorn quality. "I have no one else to turn to, Iris, you protected me from those men, now it

gut was fierce: on one hand – he was a stranger with danger obviously pursuing him in a very aggressive manner; on the other hand – this stranger could also need help desperat

ugh my hair. "Well, but you are sleeping on the couch tonight and

hat I said. "Thank you, Iris. I am n

ge feeling within me was observed. I was in this whole thing up to my neck and for some reason, I had

hrough my mind over what Ren was telling me was possible. I finally dr

me as a dream that could come through if one suffers from sleepless nights. I sat for a few minutes in bed debating with my