Story by Sitara Aswath, Year 4, Safa British School, Dubai, UAE.

One windy morning, the air in Gloomy City felt heavier than usual. In the Victoria family, James was preparing to marry Raven, but the celebration took a dark turn. When Raven walked into the hall, she gasped—James was lying on the sofa, motionless. “Oh! I am having one of my emotional episodes!” she wailed, immediately convinced he was gone.

Just then, James’ brother Max walked in. He stood frozen, his eyes wide and unblinking. “Oh My Gosh!” he exclaimed. “What happened here?”
“James is dead!” Raven sobbed, dramatically throwing herself down. “Now whom will I marry?”

A moment later, Raven’s brother Michael entered. Seeing the chaos, he grew worried and hurried to his room to call a private investigator. When the investigator arrived, he noted the time: exactly 10:00 AM. He looked at Raven, Max, and Michael. Suspecting a struggle, the investigator grabbed Max and Michael’s hands, examining their fingernails for a peculiar blue dust—the mark of a "Gloomy City" sedative.

“This is too tricky to tell,” the investigator whispered.
Suddenly, James bolted upright, coughing. He hadn't been dead, but deeply drugged. “I know who did it!” he shouted, pointing a trembling finger. “It was Michael! I saw him holding the vial before the world went black!”

Michael’s face turned a deep, guilty crimson, and he stammered in confusion. Raven, heartbroken by the betrayal, called the police, and they took Michael away in handcuffs.

The Hidden Truth
After the chaos, the wedding was postponed. However, the police found no sedative in Michael’s possession; the "vial" James saw had actually been a gift Michael was hiding for the couple. Michael was found not guilty and released.

He returned home to explain, but the house was empty. Raven had already fled the city with James to find "safety." Max, who was busy cleaning the lingering blue dust off the floor, was startled to see Michael. Max immediately texted James: “Michael is out. He’s innocent. Tell Raven.”
James looked at the message on his phone, then looked at Raven, who was finally smiling again. He deleted the text and tucked his phone away. He didn't tell her. He liked the way she leaned on him when she thought he was her only protector.

The rescheduled day of their wedding finally arrived. As the couple walked down the aisle, a familiar shadow fell across the doorway—it was Michael. Raven was overjoyed to see her brother, believing the police had simply made a mistake.

She hugged him tightly, unaware that James had known the truth for weeks. As they stood at the altar, Michael caught James’ eye and noticed a faint, blue smudge still staining the groom's own cufflink.
The couple lived happily ever after, or so the city believed.