I Realized That the Boy Pretending to Be My Son Was Not Really Him, but His Carbon Copy
Alice sees her son Adam painting strange pictures of two boys who are exactly the same.
When asked, Adam says that even though he is the only son in the family, the paintings show him and his twin. Afterwards, her son vanishes, and when he comes back, Alice realises he is a fraud pretending to be her son.
On the outskirts of the city, 32-year-old Alice, a strong realtor, picked up her son Adam from school as the day was coming to an end.
Her spouse, Simon, put in a lot of work into the family-run cafe. His absences were frequent, yet the three of them remained close.
Adam, a special ten-year-old autistic boy, brought a fresh perspective to their interaction. When he realised at the age of seven that he was adopted, his parents were shocked but also relieved.
Adam’s autism, or “specialty,” as his parents lovingly called it, made social situations difficult for him, but he found comfort in literature, painting, and spending time outside with Rocky, the family dog.
Alice and Adam entered their house and were greeted by the comforting warmth they were used to. Alice told her son to get dressed outside of his school uniform and went to make dinner.
Alice finished her evening tasks after Adam disappeared outside to play with Rocky after dinner. After cleaning up the kitchen, Alice went into Adam’s room. She was cleaning when she noticed Adam’s still-packed school bag.
Her fingers stroked Adam’s sketchbook’s comfortable feel as she unpacked it. At first it was full of his usual fantastical animals, but then it showed something else.
There were drawings of two boys that looked remarkably similar—almost like twins. They looked so similar—they had the same eyes, hair, and grin.
The boys seemed happy and held hands in one drawing. Another showed them absorbed in a game of baseball, motionless. In the third, they were pictured standing confidently in front of what appeared to be Adam’s school.
Alice was perplexed by this deviation from Adam’s typical lone or abstract artwork. She chose to ask Adam about these unusual drawings in an attempt to get more information.
“Honey, I found these sketches whilst organising your rucksack. Could you please identify these boys and explain the meaning behind these pictures?” Alice enquired of her son.
“It’s me and my new friend,” Adam clarified in a firm voice.
“I didn’t know you had a new friend,” Alice said, her tone revealing astonishment. “Why didn’t you mention him earlier?”
He said, “I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me.”
Her gaze searching Adam, “What exactly would I find unbelievable?” she asked.
Adam uttered the words, “He’s my twin,” and the stillness that followed echoed back.
“What do you mean by ‘twin’?” Alice enquired, trying to understand Adam’s exclusive viewpoint.
“He looks exactly like me,” Adam said in a casual manner. “He goes by Arthur. I wait for you to come get me practically every day while we play outside the school.”
Alice was dumbfounded and overflowing with inquiries, but she held back from pressing Adam for specifics. Rather, she made up her mind to meet this enigmatic “twin” by getting to school early the following day.
She parked far away in anticipation of having a clear view of the major exit, one hour ahead of time. She got out of the car and resumed her search on foot since she could not stand the tension any longer.
She ran into her son’s teacher, Mrs. Cage, outside the staff room.
With a worried tone, Mrs. Cage asked, “How is Adam?”
“What do you mean?” Perplexed, Alice asked.
“Adam informed me about two hours ago that he wasn’t feeling well and that you were on your way to pick him up and take him to the doctor,” explained Mrs. Cage.
Alice hurried out of the staff room without waiting around. Despite searching the entire school and the neighbourhood, she and her spouse were unable to locate their son.
Just as they were about to give up, Mrs. Cage called to let Alice know that her kid was well and had returned to school.
“I was really anxious! Alice said, having picked up her son from school, “Where were you?”
“I wanted to walk down the street, but some bad people started pushing me and almost beat me,” Adam calmly said, narrating the terrifying incident in his voice. “I was able to escape from them.”
“Never venture out by yourself again! Cupping his face, Alice begged, “Promise me.”
Adam hugged his mother and retorted, “I promise!”
Rocky was eagerly waving his tail to welcome them home, so Alice told her son to do the same.
However, Rocky’s amiable wagging gave way to belligerent barking as he got closer. The dog loved Adam and had never behaved this way, so Alice and Simon were both taken aback by the sudden change.
She brought Adam inside the house after shoving off the confusion.
Afterwards, Alice noticed Adam in the kitchen, dressed in a shirt she had never seen him wear. Upon being asked, he said, “I wanted to wear it today.”
Alice noticed that her kid was acting differently at the dinner table; his replies were different, and his vocabulary had changed significantly. But what came next was really concerning. She observed Adam consuming tomato-sauced beans.
Adam hated the food she made, so she only cooked for herself. “I assumed you detested beans in tomato sauce,” Alice said, her brain straining to make sense of what was happening.
Adam surprised his mother by saying, “I didn’t like them before, but I’ve tasted them, and they’re delicious.”
Her eyes shifted to Adam’s wrist, where she noticed a vibrantly coloured bracelet bearing the name of a nearby amusement park. She asked her son where he got it, as they had never been there, and he replied that a classmate had given it to him.
“Give it back tomorrow. Things that belong to other people shouldn’t be kept, she counselled.
Adam gave a head nod.
Alice didn’t get even a wink of sleep that night. After telling Simon what had happened that day, he reassured her not to worry.
He conceded, “It does all sound strange.” However, Adam’s day was difficult. Perhaps these adjustments are how he copes?”
In an attempt to convey her discomfort to Simon, Alice objected, saying, “But he’s become more talkative.”
Maybe that’s a good thing, honey? Maybe this would enable him to come out of his shell.” Simon recommended.
The following day, Alice received a call from Mrs. Cage during her work meeting.
“He’s acting weirdly,” Mrs. Cage said. “He’s normally the best in logic class, so his bad performance surprised me. He usually struggles in physical education, but he surprised everyone by doing well in it. Today, there was also an altercation with a classmate. He has never before had behavioural problems.” The teacher seemed worried and confused at the same time. “I suggest you come pick him up and have a talk at home.”
Alice arrived at school to discover Adam silently standing in a corner. A shiver went down her spine as she saw the bloodstains on his clothing. “He got into a fight with a classmate today,” Mrs. Cage said. “And he was the one who started it.”
There was an engulfing silence on the way home. “Adam, what’s wrong with you? She questioned, her voice trembling, “Why are you acting so strange?”
“I apologise, Mommy,” Adam answered.
“I’ve never been called mama before by you! It seems like a different you!” She let out a cry, but Adam said nothing.
Alice cleaned Adam up in the bathroom after they got home. She observed that the birthmark on his back had vanished while assisting him in taking off his shirt.
Alice flinched back, her eyes going wide with fear. “You’re not my son.”
Mom! You have to be mistaken.” Despite the boy’s protests, Alice was certain that he wasn’t Adam.
The youngster begged, keen to tell everything, and she threatened to call the police. “Arthur is my name. Adam was taken by them. It’s his turn now.”
Alice experienced a shiver down her back. Something about the name rang true in her mind. She thought of Adam’s drawings, the ones with their twin buddy Arthur. Was there a twin Adam that she was unaware of?
“Who are” they just “and where did they take my son?” With a panicked voice, Alice demanded.
“They use children as financial tools. They force us to beg in public. “I was among those children,” Arthur continued, his voice wavering. “One day, I ran into Adam beside his school, and we struck up a conversation. After he informed me about his family, I…I also desired to have that experience. So as a joke yesterday, I offered that we switch clothing. After we had a change of heart, I left him in our basement and went to school dressed as him.”
When Alice could take it no more, she dialled 911. She informed them that her son had been abducted by a gang who abducted children for financial gain, and she had the boy who could lead them to her son’s location.
However, Arthur was nowhere to be seen when the police came. Through the window of the room, he had escaped.
Alice realised that she couldn’t find her kid by relying just on the police after having a good weep. She started to piece things together gradually when it finally dawned on her. Taking control of the situation, she walked out of the house in search of the theme park whose emblem she had noticed on Arthur’s wristband.
She started looking for Adam after arriving at her destination and eventually caught sight of him. She was shocked to see how quickly these men bundled him into a car and drove gone.
Frantically, she dialled 911. She was told by the police to provide her geolocation so they could follow her. Alice also called for a cab and followed it, walking the last few blocks through the industrial area.
Alice located the well-known vehicle next to an abandoned warehouse. A rough-looking man, with the appearance of a bandit, approached her warily. She described the twin switch involving her son in spite of her trepidation.
Abruptly, the man pushed her inside, explaining that their organisation doesn’t involve kids and families. The unexpected turn of events forced them to eliminate Alice and her kid.
Alice stared there, dumbfounded, as the door slammed behind her. She was startled to see someone hunched in the corner. She was certain that it was Adam, or at least she thought so. She ran to him and gave him a firm embrace.
They sat there consoling each other for a while until Alice discovered pipes running along one basement wall that led outside.
“Perhaps there is someone in the neighbouring building,” she said.
Alice, full with hope, picked up a rock from the ground and tapped on the pipe. She issued a “SOS” signal. She hoped that someone would see her signal and come to her aid.
The door creaked open and a bandit stepped in, tying their hands and covering their heads with bags. Alice was scared as she was led out of the basement and realised that this might be the end.
A dark growl from the engine filled the air as it was guided violently into a nearby vehicle. Then, out of nowhere, a police siren broke the tension and the bandits were apprehended quickly.
Alice felt a wave of relief when they were released, and she discovered that Arthur had called the police instead of her SOS signal. Alice realized that Arthur was the one who had saved them all, and she approached him with gratitude.
She said, “Arthur,” her voice brimming with passion. “What brought you back? You called the police, but why?”
Arthur looked back at her, a mixture of hope and terror in his eyes. He said quietly, “I just wanted a family.” “I came to understand what it means to be a member of a family over the two days I spent with you. It was pleasant to feel.”
There was a pause, and then he asked Alice a question that had no words. “Will you become my family?” Even though he spoke in a low, nearly whispery voice, Alice felt the force of his words like a lightning strike.
Standing there, dumbfounded and taken by surprise, she stared at this youngster who had put his life in danger to save her and her son—a boy who yearned for a family.
A frenzy of paperwork and meetings engulfed the next two months. Hearts thumping with excitement, Alice and her husband Simon found themselves in the sterile guardianship officer’s office.
At last, the social worker raised her head and smiled warmly. “I’m happy for your adoption. You are now the parents of Arthur Green,” she said. Simon and Alice felt a wave of joy.
They turned to Arthur and embraced him, relief and gladness bursting in their hearts. They were prepared to make it happen. For Arthur, it was a fresh start and an opportunity to provide the family he had always desired.
