Scrivenings of the King-Beyond-The-Wall

Western World #2

Mia awoke to the shrill beep of her alarm, her room bathed in the sterile light of a cloudy dawn. The memory of a dream clung to her, elusive yet vivid—she was both here, in her cramped apartment, and somewhere far away, living a life splashed with colors and sounds she couldn't quite place. As she sipped her lukewarm coffee, the feeling of duality intensified, leaving her unsettled.

As she walked to work, the city seemed to flicker. For a moment, the concrete and steel melted away into a lush, green landscape where she stood barefoot on soft, earthy soil. The air was fresher there, filled with the scent of rain and pine. Then it snapped back—the honking cars, the grey sidewalks, and the relentless pace of urban life resumed.

Throughout the day, the slips between realities grew more frequent. At her desk, her computer screen would blur, and she’d glimpse another version of herself, looking back through a window into a sunlit study lined with books. This other Mia smiled, serene and content, a stark contrast to the frazzle of spreadsheets and deadlines.

Confused, Mia left work early. The streets teemed with the usual rush-hour chaos, but to her, each passerby flickered like a poorly tuned TV set, shadows of people who lived different lives somewhere else, somewhere better.

In a park, she sat on a bench, her mind racing. As the sun set, painting the sky in streaks of orange and purple, she felt the veil thinning. The world around her quieted, and for a long moment, she was in two places at once. She could feel the gentle touch of a hand in hers, a hand belonging to someone she knew deeply, yet couldn't recall in her waking life. Tears welled up in her eyes. The happiness that coursed through her in that other place was palpable, heart-aching because here, on this bench, her hand was empty.

Night fell, and the city's harsh lights replaced the sunset. The park faded into a cool, blue twilight where children laughed and fireflies danced under the stars. Mia stood, drawn to a swing where a little girl played, her laughter bell-like and joyful. For a split second, Mia knew her name, knew she was hers, and then it slipped away, out of reach.

Back in the stark light of reality, Mia wandered the streets, lost and torn between worlds. She ended up at a bridge overlooking the river, the water below mirroring the dual nature of her experiences—calm yet relentless. She leaned over the railing, watching the reflections break and merge with each passing ripple.

The realization came softly, painfully. She understood that these glimpses were not promises of what could be, but echoes of what could never be. Her heart ached for the warmth of that sunlit study, the laughter of the child, the grasp of that unseen hand. But as the city quieted down and the river flowed indifferently beneath her, Mia accepted the bittersweet truth. These parallel lives were not hers to live. They were beautiful, haunting dreams of what ifs.

She turned away from the water, the finality of her solitude settling in. With a deep, steadying breath, she walked back into the life she knew, her heart heavy but her path certain. The realities would continue to flicker, but she would no longer reach for them. Instead, she would cherish them as fleeting daydreams, and do her best to make them become a reality on her own.



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(582 words)


Prompt: Write a story where a character is experiencing parallel realities.