Week 7 Story: Board Game Adventures

"Give it back!"

"It's my turn to play!"

The boys' mother walks in, and screams, "How many times do I have to tell you two not to fight over a stupid game?! You two never stop!" For the third time this week, the boys are fighting over their video games.

Ryan, the younger boy, tries to plead his case. "But he just stole it from me! I was in the middle of a game!"

"You said you'd give it to me before that game!" Jacob turns to his mother, "I can't believe you'd yell at me when he's the one who started it!"

"Enough! Until you boys learn to work together, no more video games!" The boys cry as their mother carries the Xbox out of the living room, leaving them with no games to play.

Jacob runs to his room, slamming the door and locking it. As Ryan heads to his room, he notices an old box sitting in the hallway full of board games. He grabs the top one, and heads to Jacob's room. "Jacob?"

"Go away!"

"I'm sorry! Can we at least play this old board game I found?"

"I can't tell, it's worn off the box. It's heavy though."

"Fine, we can try it." Jacob comes out of his room, and takes the board game, which is enclosed in a wooden case. He sets it on the coffee table, reads the rules to Ryan, and they begin playing.

"Okay, roll the dice, and.... 5. So move five spaces, pick up the card," Jacob picks up the card, which says, "'You meet a young boy who can help you obtain the lamp. Move to the cave.' Okay, move to the cave." As he does this, they feel the ground shake, and a cave entrance opens up in their front yard, scaring the boys.

"What just happened?!" screams Ryan.

"MOM!" Their mother doesn't respond to Jacob's cries. Jacob reads the rules again, and on the last line, says, "The only way to return is to finish the game..."

"My turn?"

"Yeah, I think it is." Both boys are still visibly shaken by the cave outside.

"Okay, and I got a... 7!" Ryan reads his card, "'You take the lamp from the cave, keeping it for yourself.' Ha, I got the lamp!" As he says this, a lamp appears on the table.

"Okay, I'll roll now. And... 6. 'You will be skipped for 5...' Hey, this isn't fair!" Jacob throws the card down, "I can't play for 5 turns!"

"And I have the lamp!" says Ryan, rubbing it. As he does so, a tiny trail of smoke begins to escape from the open spout, and a genie appears. "Who are you?"

"I am the genie of the lamp, and shall honor your every request."

"Cool!" Over the next few turns, Ryan uses the genie to his advantage. He is told to ask for riches, which the genie grants. He also receives a wife, and becomes the heir apparent to an entire kingdom, receiving a crown and many gems from the genie and the game. Jacob continues to steam, being unable to play. Finally, his turn arrives.

"Finally! 'Steal the genie's lamp. Replace with a new one.' Don't mind if I do!" Jacob takes the lamp, becoming the master of the genie. "I wish you to lose everything you have, and that it is transported far away." With these words, the house begins to shake, and Jacob, along with the game, are transported far away, leaving Ryan alone. Scared, Ryan begins rubbing the ring, revealing another genie.

Replacing the old lamp with a new one

Source: Wikipedia

"Genie! Take me to my brother!" With this command, Ryan is transported right outside their house, now resting in a different country than their own. Now back at the house, Ryan takes his turn. He whispers the card to himself when he realizes what it says. "'Other players drink a poisoned drink. Roll again.'"

"Oh cool, it even gives us drinks!" Jacob is excited, and immediately gulps the entire glass down as Ryan screams at him not to drink it. Within a few moments, Ryan is left as the only one still standing. He rolls the dice one more time, crying as he moves his pieces.

"'Move to the end of the board. You win!'" As his piece reaches the final space, the entire ground shakes, the house transports back to its original location, and when it lands, Jacob sits up, looking around confused. Ryan runs and hugs his brother as the board game closes itself up, and everything the game gave them disappeared.

"Throw that game away! I don't ever want to see it again!" screams Ryan. With those words, Ryan and Jacob dispose of the game, whose name they can now read: Aladdin.

Author's Note: 

The game is based off the story Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. In the story, a magician tries to get the young boy Aladdin to give him the lamp after leading him to the cave it is in. However, Aladdin refuses to, angering the magician so much that he abandons him, and keeps the lamp, using it to acquire riches, marry the woman of his dreams, and become the heir to the sultan. The magician, furious when he finds out what Aladdin has done, manages to steal the lamp and transport Aladdin's palace away, along with his wife. Aladdin was able to avoid execution by the sultan, travels to find his palace, and manages to kill the magician before returning the palace and his wife home. I wanted to create a story where this is included, but has a Jumanji feel, where the young boys found a board game that comes to life, literally, the older boy playing the magician, and his younger brother playing Aladdin.

Jumanji Box

Source: DeviantArt

The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H.J. Ford (1898)