If you hadn't said by whom the story was...
it would have driven me nuts. I don't know where I would have encountered that story before.
Anyway, the storyline is great. For your first flash, A+, good job. People don't make flashes like this even after several attempts.
The 'style' of your movie reminds me of an early 1900s movie, just in color, which is original.
Perhaps work on animation and depth with your next flash.