Dream Of Legend

• Jack Bell, Grade 8, Chatswood High School
• Short Story
• 2019

Excellence Award in the 'Just Keep Writing 2019' competition

With a devilish grin he was smitten, pondering a sinful crime. He had an insidious plan, one that would change society as we know it. Worse than a murder, more evil than torture; this ramble would cause all-out war. Gerald was a mastermind, an evil one at that.
One that strived to steal a burger. Gerald ran out of the house like a bullet train. Memorising McDonald’s opening and closing times, Gerald made sure he had enough time for his deceitful escapade.
Gerald knew Tom. Tom worked, lived and breathed McDonalds. He even slept there. Seeming Tom had read the “McDonalds Handbook for Dummies”, he knew everything about the place. He even memorised toilet blueprints, taking information in, like a sponge soaks up water.
Tom and Gerald were best friends and acted like brothers. The two were inseparable and cared for each other like a dog would for a bone. That’s why Gerald rang Tom, hoping for insight about McDonalds.
The pair had spoken for ages though Gerald could only rectify one sentence. The one that made his plan a reality. “Down the corridor, through the bathroom, into the blue room”.
Soon after an hour of lurching through the foreboding town streets, Gerald arrived at Heaven’s front door. The gates of McDonalds. He remembered Tom’s glorious sentence and found the holy blue room.
Once there, Gerald saw something so magnificent he became a euphoric toddler. In front of his bulging eyes, on the back wall was the words ‘Australian Made and Owned’. Under that, on a golden plate, was the meaning of life. It was a burger, right in front of his eyes.
Gerald slowly moved his excited hands towards the burger, and was about to grab it, though he got pushed hard onto the side wall of the room. Gerald opened his eyes in a gasp of pain, and saw Tom taking the burger and sprinting away. Gerald, in a fit of rage, ran after him.
Gerald felt betrayed and smouldered with anger. Sadly, finding himself back at the McDonalds entrance, Tom was nowhere to be seen. Tom had gotten away with breaking his friend’s heart. Gerald fell to the ground and wept an ocean of tears.
Gerald cried until all life escaped him. Depressed and miserable, he soon got up and walked away. Gerald was a choked fish, a strangled cat. He could even feel the melancholy tingles down his spine.
Before leaving, Gerald had one last look at his lifelong dream. Suddenly, a black bucket with the interesting word, “TRASH” caught his eye. Gerald forgot his sad mood and became inquisitive.
He lurched over to that ornate structure lying against a tree and stared. It was something more beautiful than before. So beautiful, Gerald screamed out his happiness. Thousands of burgers were lying in that one tip.
He picked one up and took a bite. It was buckled, bent and twisted completely out of shape, but somehow it was more beautiful than ever.