Madison and Jessica turned to a life of robbery after escaping their abusive stepdad. One fateful burglary at an unknown older lady’s mansion leads them down an unexpected path when they stumble upon a photo linked to their past.
“One last signature there,” the attorney said, smiling when the 25-year-old twins Madison and Jessica followed his lead. “There! It’s all yours!”
Once the lawyer left, Jessica’s gaze lingered on the towering ceilings and ornate décor of the Victorian-style mansion nestled in the outskirts of the quiet town.
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“Can you believe it, Maddy!?” she exclaimed, feeling excitement swishing through her veins. “We own this now! It’s OURS!
Jessica rejoiced, not realizing that her sister hadn’t said a word and was instead quietly crying.
“Maddy, what’s wrong?” Jessica asked, confused.
“Jess, this mansion, the way we got it…It still feels like a dream,” Madison said, breathless and disbelieving. She closed her eyes and thought about the lower point in their life 16 years ago. They were nine and had only $3 in their pockets after fleeing their stepfather.
In the fall of 2002, the twins lived with their stepfather, Martin, after their mother died in a car accident 1999. While he always had trouble drinking, his wife’s death worsened things. He took his frustrations out on them and couldn’t hold down a job.
Madison and Jessica tried to be good, despite how often he reminded them they were a burden. But after years of this mistreatment, Martin got home drunk one night, expecting food on the table.
“We’re really sorry, sir,” Madison said softly, her head lowered in fright. “We had a lot of homework to do today. Dinner will be ready in just 20 minutes. Please forgive us for being late.”
“She’s telling the truth,” Jessica agreed.
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Still, Martin didn’t like their answer. He grabbed their notebooks and bags, hurling them around the living room carelessly.
“I don’t care about your school. Do you understand, you lazy little rats?” Martin yelled, terrifying them. “If I have to raise you, you’ll have to work around here! If this happens again, you’ll be out on the streets!”
The girls looked at each other, and although this wasn’t the first time he had threatened to kick them out, his words still caused intense terror.
Madison began to cry while Jessica tried to stop the tears, uttering, “Yes, sir.”
Martin grinned, his rage dissipating now that he knew they were afraid. He grabbed a beer from his fridge and sat in front of the TV while dialing to order some pizza. Of course, he wouldn’t share that with them.
Madison ran to their room, and Jessica followed closely. “What are we doing to do?” she asked her crying sister. “We can’t live with that ogre anymore.”
Her twin wiped her tears away. “Where would we go?”
“I know, but he doesn’t even feed us. He hates us,” Jessica continued. “Wouldn’t it be better to just leave? Run away?”
“Run where?” Madison asked, looking around.
“Anywhere. Somewhere better than here,” her sister added, shrugging.
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“OK,” Madison said, nodding. They quieted and stared into each other eyes for a long time. Then, they hugged tightly and began to pack. They checked the few pennies and dimes they’d managed to steal here and there, but it was only three dollars between them.
When they were ready, they exited their room slowly, checking that Martin was fast asleep. His pizza box was only half empty, and his beer can was still in his hand.
Jessica stopped Madison for a second. “Wait, I can’t leave until I do something,” Jessica said, put her things down, and ran to her stepfather’s room.
“What are you doing?” Madison whispered-yelled, panicking. But Jessica was back quickly with a bottle. She tiptoed to Martin’s and poured a powder on his open beer can. Luckily, he was snoring loudly.
Jessica threw the bottle on the floor, grabbed her things, and ushered Madison out.
“What was that?” her sister asked.
“Laxative,” she answered, grinning slightly.
Madison almost burst out laughing loudly but covered her mouth, and they left, never to see their horrible stepfather again.
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For the next 15 years, the girls traveled all over the country, surviving by stealing and begging where they could. Eventually, they raised enough money to buy a cheap minivan.
They had to leave towns quickly and change their appearances after stealing. It was a complicated life, but it worked for them. Jessica was the most daring, while Madison was usually more reserved and scared when stealing.
While traveling through Boston, they suddenly encountered a neighbor with a large, beautiful mansion.
“Look at that house, Maddy. I bet we could grab just one box of jewelry and be set for the rest of the year,” Jessica pointed out, stopping the car only a few paces away.
“I don’t know, Jess. Those wrought-iron fences are heavy-duty. It’ll be tough to climb. Plus, these places probably have alarm systems and stuff, right?” Madison shook her head but stared at the state with wonder.
“Well, I’m going,” Jessica insisted, removing her seat belt and climbing out of the driving seat. Madison followed, trying to talk her out of it.
As predicted, the fence was hard to climb, but there was no alarm, at least. Jessica was an expert in picking locks, but she knew rich folks always left their doors open. “Bingo,” she whispered, rolling a side door open.
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The twins entered a dressing room and ransacked as quickly as possible, finding jewelry and designer bags galore.
When they were ready to leave, Madison lifted her heavy bag and accidentally knocked a vase.
“Oops!” she whispered, looking at her sister with panicked eyes.
“We have to go,” Jessica said calmly. “Let’s pray she didn’t hear this.”
“Who’s there?” they suddenly heard as lights turned on. An old woman in her nightgown stood in the doorway. “Who are you?”
The twins stared at each other, wondering what to do next.
“Oh, no. Please don’t take that,” the lady continued, her eyes on the box Jessica had in her hands because it didn’t fit in her bag. Her eyes teared up quickly. “Take anything else but that, and I won’t call the police.”
The twins were flustered, but Jessica would not leave that box now that the old woman basically confirmed it was valuable. “MADDY, RUN!” she yelled, rushing to the old woman at the door and pushing her to the side.
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“Please, those jewels are worth more than money!” the old woman wailed after catching herself from falling.
Madison only hesitated a second before following her sister. They rushed down, exiting through the sliding door and not looking back until they were securely in their van. Madison looked up at the mansion and saw the old woman staring through the window.
“We did a terrible thing, Jess,” Madison lamented. “She said they’re worth more than money.”
“Yeah, that means what’s in this box is more valuable than everything else. This is how we survive,” Jessica snapped, driving on.
They were too tired to get away from Boston that night, so they stopped at an empty rest stop, and Jessica fell asleep quickly. Madison couldn’t stay still, so instead, she grabbed the box and returned to the old woman’s house.
Instead of breaking in again, Madison rang her doorbell. The old woman’s eyes widened when she saw her without a mask and holding the jewelry box in her hand.
“I’m sorry for what we did earlier,” Madison spoke in a soft voice laced with guilt and sympathy. “My sister and I were in a tough spot. Please, forgive us. Don’t call the police.”
The old woman stared at her sweetly, holding back tears, and asked Madison inside. She asked the younger woman to call her Mrs. George, and they began to talk. After a while, Madison looked at the pictures on her mantelpiece, noting many people.
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But one frame caught her eye.
“Wh—who is this?” Madison stuttered, her eyes brimming with tears. The old lady’s eyes followed Madison’s gaze at the photo, and she was puzzled about what had suddenly made the young woman cry.
“Well, that’s…that’s my late daughter, Amber,” Mrs. George replied softly, her glass becoming foggy due to the warm tears in her eyes. “she was a beauty, wasn’t she? But why do you cry?”
Madison’s heart skipped a beat as she stared intently at the photo and then back at Mrs. George.
“What? Your daughter? It can’t be…Th—that’s my MOM!”
The living room fell silent as the two women exchanged a puzzled glance, their eyes filled with emotion. “Your mother?!” the grandmother whispered as her face was drained of blood.
“Oh, my God! This is unbelievable! Honey, I’m your grandmother!” Mrs. George gasped as she pulled Madison into a tight embrace, realizing they were connected in a way they could have never imagined.
“Wh—How can this be? I never knew we had a grandmother!” Madison exclaimed in shock. “I’ll go bring my sister. She needs to know too!”
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Madison bolted to the minivan and told Jessica everything.
“What! And she’s our grandma? OMG…how’s that possible? How come we didn’t know about her all these years?” Jessica was stunned when her sister revealed the encounter back in the grandmother’s estate.
“Yeah, Jess! It’s unbelievable. The woman we just robbed is our GRANDMOTHER! Let’s go and find out further.”
They talked to the old woman, apologizing for stealing from her. Mrs. George apologized, too, because she never knew of their existence.
“My daughter and I had several problems. She was boy-crazy and didn’t pick the right men. She cut me off eventually, and I didn’t even know where she moved to. I thought it was best to let her come to me later,” their grandmother explained.
They talked more, and the old woman told them to stay in her house. They took a DNA test a few days later to confirm, and Mrs. George promised they would never have to steal again.
Nine months later, Mrs. George passed, and Madison and Jessica inherited her house and the entire estate, although it took a few months before they finalized everything.
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“If we had known about her before, we could’ve lived this life all along,” Madison cried, and Jessica ran to her arms.
“Instead, we burglarized our grandmother’s house,” Jessica cried and laughed, tightening her embrace.
“Breaking into this house was the best thing we ever did,” Madison said. “So, thank you. For being our brave and stupid Robin Hood.”
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about twins who found a baby abandoned on a stroller and discovered her $3 million legacy later.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
Psychologists Explain Things We All See in Dreams, and It’s Better Not to Ignore Them
Humankind has been trying to solve the mystery of dreams for as long as they’ve existed. Today there is even a special discipline in the study of dreams called oneirology. Those who prefer the esoteric side of things over science love to interpret their dreams according to various dream books and believe that they can predict the future. But psychologists think that dreams accurately reflect our current condition and that our subconscious tries to tell us something important via dreams from time to time.
We at Bright Side have learned that there are dreams that are common for all of us. Each of us sees these types of dreams every now and then. These dreams are caused by our ancient instincts, a cultural code, the experience of our ancestors, and personal experience. A psychologist and an expert in the field of dreams, Patricia Garfield, calls them “universal dreams” and says, “Like a hearty stew that is rich with local produce, the universal dreams differ among different peoples, but they are all nourishing variants of the same wholesome meal. They are as old as humanity and as widespread as our globe.”
1. Falling
In adulthood, we see falling more often than flying. According to the psychologist Ian Wallace, a dream about falling symbolizes the fear of losing control. You can’t control something in your life anymore because some drastic changes that you were not ready for took place in your life. Think about what sphere of life (work, relationships, finances, health, etc.) you feel most suppressed or vulnerable in as well as the ways to correct it.
Some scientists explain dreams about falling with simple physiology. As the body is sinking into sleep, the nerve system starts to calm down, your blood pressure and heart rate decrease and your falling asleep brain (especially if it was overwhelmed during the day) can perceive this physiological change as danger or an approaching death and therefore, makes you wake up suddenly.
The opposite version of this dream is flying which signifies freeing oneself from some hard burden and getting the desirable freedom.
2. Teeth that fall out and injuries
Our subconscious interprets teeth as an indicator of strength, and an ability to “bite off” a piece of the world. “Perhaps, you have recently been feeling unarmed and helpless in the real world,” Penney Peirce explains.
Patricia Garfield, another expert who’s studied dreams for many years, connects dreams about teeth falling out with hidden anger. As a rule, when we suppress anger, we clench our jaw, and our teeth might start to creak and grind. This dream might be signaling that it’s high time to get rid of negative feelings.
We often have dreams where someone close to us is wounded or sick. Those dreams cause consternation; however, from psychology’s point of view, things are not that bad. It’s simply our fears of the future and inevitable changes with those close to us. If you see your own death, it means that some part of you is dying and staying in the past to give space to something new.
“Opposite” dreams about birth and recovery usually appear when something new is taking place in a person’s life (like a new job or project) and symbolize a new experience.
3. Failure at an exam or public performance
You’re about to take an exam and suddenly realize that you don’t remember anything or you can’t say a word when standing in front of a big crowd. These dreams might be experienced not only by students and school kids but also by people who have graduated a long time ago. It’s likely that you had some stress shortly before going to sleep or was extremely worried about something. In this case, it’s better to take a short break and relax.
4. Being chased or persecuted
Such dreams have several different meanings. An expert in the field of dreams named Lauri Loewenberg says, “People that tend to avoid conflict, who are afraid of ruffling feathers or causing issues will have the recurring dream of being chased.”
Pay attention to the thing chasing you — they symbolize an unpleasant feeling or situation that you try not to think about in real life. It can be debt or addiction. Are you chased by a person you know? Think about what or who you associate this person with. They might indicate some other person or even a part of your personality that you don’t want to admit (like a hidden talent or aspiration) in your dream.
There’s also a theory saying that dreams about running away from someone are simply the echoes of primitive instincts that are in our genes thanks to our ancestors. All because they were constantly running from predators.
5. Inappropriate clothes or an absence of any
In your dream, you turn up in a public place wearing inappropriate clothes or not wearing anything at all. In this situation, it’s important to pay attention to the feelings you encountered in your dream. These dreams are usually followed by a feeling of shame and embarrassment.
Psychologist Ian Wallace notes, “It means that you feel vulnerable at your new job or in your new relationship and are afraid that others will learn about your weaknesses and disadvantages.” However, if you don’t feel any shame in your dream but instead feel proud of yourself, the dream has the opposite meaning. Perhaps you feel a lack of recognition and admiration and would like others to see your talents as well as your personality more.
6. A catastrophe or an apocalypse
We’ve all dreamed about natural or man-made disasters where we’re scared for our own lives and the lives of those close to us. These dreams might indicate personal problems that have gotten out of control or are a result of feeling threatened by something. Of course, constant messages in the media about catastrophes and terrorist acts worsen the situation. As a result, we start feeling vulnerable in the modern world.
Sometimes, when having a nightmare, we try to shout out loud but feel that our voice has left us, which causes an even bigger fear. Psychologists explain it as sleep paralysis. During the last phase of sleep, when we have dreams, our brain purposefully paralyzes the body so that we can lie still and not “live” in our sleep by running, jumping, etc. People who have sleep paralysis usually wake up before the end of the last phase and enter a state between sleep and reality for a short period. This can be felt as an inability to move, speak, and, in some cases, breathe.
7. Faulty equipment or vehicles
You try to use some gadget or device, and it breaks right away. For example, your phone stops working, and you can’t call anyone. According to Patricia Garfield, these dreams are more often experienced by women and symbolize worries about relationships or losing an emotional connection with someone.
Dreams in which you’re trying to operate a vehicle that doesn’t work properly or breaks down are in the same category. You are likely missing support and can’t cope with a difficult life situation by yourself.
8. Pregnancy
As strange as it might sound, it’s not only women who can have dreams about pregnancy. A psychologist name David Bedrick says, “Pregnancy symbolizes something new growing inside us.” You subconsciously dream about “giving birth” to a new fascinating creative project. It can be anything from writing a book to repairing a house. It’s time to set a goal and show the world how you can take on this new role.
If you’re not pregnant in real life, you may be seeking fulfillment after having such a dream.
9. Being late
Dreams that have you running after a departing train or running late for an important meeting can occur quite often. According to a dream expert, Michael R. Olsen, they can symbolize the fear of missing out on something very important in your relationships or in the upbringing of your child, for example. If you’re constantly overwhelmed and don’t have much time to accomplish things in real life, your subconscious is signaling that it’s time for you to reconsider your schedule and free up time for really important things.
10. An unknown room
Dreams about new rooms are about self-knowledge. If you find yourself in an unknown house in your dream, it means that you don’t know yourself well and try to neglect some sides of your character. A separate unfamiliar room symbolizes that you have a hidden talent, skill, or opportunity that you don’t use.
A psychotherapist named Eddie Traversa thinks that we subconsciously associate some rooms with certain processes. A kitchen is a place where products get transformed into a finished dish which means that you’re currently going through some inner changes. A bathroom is a symbol of freeing oneself from unnecessary baggage. It might symbolize that it’s time to get rid of something that is not needed any longer. A bathroom is a symbol of cleansing and it means that you feel the necessity to clarify things or see them in a different light. A bedroom signifies the things that worry you in your romantic relationship.
Have you ever experienced any of these dreams or do you usually see something different? Please tell us about it in the comments!
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