The Perfect Crime

By: Sid Nair

            It was the year 2020. Jack sat alone in his science lab working on his time machine. Jack was only ten when his dad had been accused of a robbery of $5 million. Soon after, Jack learned his dad was missing. Jack wanted to go back in time to the year 2000 and catch the real culprit in the act so his father’s name would be cleared.

            As soon as Jack finished the time machine, he began to use it even though it had never been tested before. He set the machine for the year 2000. However, he got transported to the year 2000 B.C. because of an error in the machine. He saw an archery tournament taking place. Jack grabbed the winner of the tournament and took him to the time machine.

            He asked the archer to help him find the thief whose act had spoilt his father’s good name. “Okay,” the archer reluctantly agreed. Jack held the archer’s shoulder and they went back to 2000. This time Jack was at the right place at the right time. Jack and the archer hid in a bush waiting to catch the thief red-handed. Soon, they saw a masked figure loading sacks on a truck.

            “Archer,” commanded Jack. “Aim at the tire of the truck; yes, the black wheel.”

            The archer aimed and fired. The masked man, who was loading a sack in the truck, heard the tire flatten. When he realized that somebody was near him he ran.

            Jack ran and tackled the fiend. The masked man dropped a knife that he was holding.

            “Aaaarghh,” he yelled.

            He pushed Jack off of him. As he ran away, he saw the archer who was aiming for him. He drove the other way. The arrow grazed his hair. Jack took a step toward the culprit and punched him with his fist. The culprit fell down. Jack quickly pulled of the fiend’s mask to reveal the culprit’s identity…

            “Dad?...”