A life for a life

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. She had always been curious about what lay beyond the small, cramped bunker they lived in. It was the only window to the outside world they had, and it was always guarded by him.

His name was Jack, and he was the only one allowed to go near the window. He would spend hours looking out at the world, describing to his little girl all the sights and sounds he saw. She longed to join him, to feel the wind on her face and see the sun setting over the horizon.

But it was not to be. The government had sealed off the city, trapping them all inside. No one knew why, but rumours circulated that something terrible had happened beyond the walls. They were left to fend for themselves, living in poverty and fear.

One day, Jack told her about a strange phenomenon he had witnessed. He claimed that he had seen a parallel universe through the window, a world that was almost identical to their own but with one crucial difference: it was free.

The girl was sceptical at first, but Jack was convinced that this was the way out. He spent every waking moment trying to find a way to reach this parallel universe, even building a machine that he believed could transport them there.

As the years passed each day became harder and harder to survive. The girl watched as Jack became more and more obsessed with his quest. He became distant and erratic, barely paying attention to her or anyone else. She began to fear that he would never return to her.

Finally, the day came when Jack's machine was ready. He begged her to come with him, but she was too afraid. She knew that if they failed, they would be trapped forever in this dystopian world.

So she stayed behind as Jack stepped into the machine and vanished from sight. She waited for what felt like an eternity, but he never returned.

As she sat by the window, looking out at the world that had once seemed so far away, she realized that the outside world was not meant for her. It was a cruel and unforgiving place, and she was better off staying where she was.

But even as she made this realization, a small part of her yearned to be free, to explore the unknown and discover what lay beyond the window. And so she waited, hoping that one day Jack would come back and take her with him to the parallel universe he had dreamed of.

But he never did, and the girl was left alone with the ghosts of her past and the promise of a future that would never come. Jack stumbled out of the machine, panting and covered in sweat. He had been gone for what felt like an eternity, but to him it had only been a few moments.

As he looked around, he realized that something was off. The room was empty, and the window was covered in dust. He called out for the girl, but there was no answer.

Panicked, he searched the entire apartment, but she was nowhere to be found. It was then that he saw the note on the table.

"I'm sorry, dad," it read. "I couldn't wait any longer"

Tears welled up in Jack's eyes as he realized what had happened. The girl had left, hoping to find a way to the parallel universe he had told her about.

Desperate, he ran to the window and tore off the dust cover. He looked out at the world, hoping to see her running towards him. But all he saw was an empty street, stretching out into the distance.

Heartbroken, Jack collapsed to the floor and wept. He had been so focused on his own quest that he had forgotten about the girl he loved. And now it was too late.

As the sun set on the city, Jack sat by the window, staring out at the world he had once dreamed of. He knew he would never see the girl again, and the guilt of leaving her behind would haunt him for the rest of his days.

He sat by the window, he knew that he would always carry her with him, even as he faced the bleak and unforgiving world alone. As the years passed, Jack became more and more maddened by loneliness. He spent his days sitting by the window, staring out at the world and remembering the girl he had lost. He had searched every inch of the city, hoping to find some trace of her, but she was nowhere to be found.

At night, he would dream of the parallel universe he had once believed in. In his dreams, he would see the girl standing in a field of flowers, smiling and beckoning him to join her. But every time he reached out to her, she would vanish, leaving him alone once again.

As the loneliness and isolation took their toll on Jack, he began to lose touch with reality. He became paranoid and delusional, convinced that the government was watching his every move and trying to keep him trapped in this dystopian world.

He spent hours tinkering with his machine, trying to find a way to escape. But no matter what he did, he couldn't make it work. And so he was left to wander the empty streets, lost in his own madness.

One day, Jack heard a knock on the door. He froze, convinced that it was the government coming for him. But as he cautiously approached the door, he heard a voice calling his name.

It was the girl.

Overcome with joy, Jack threw open the door and scooped her up in his arms. She was thinner and paler than he remembered, but her eyes still sparkled with the same sense of adventure.

As she told him about her journey, Jack realized that she had found a way to the parallel universe he had dreamed of. She had been living there for years, waiting for him to join her.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Jack begged her to take him with her. But the girl shook her head.

"I'm sorry, dad," she said. "I couldn't wait any longer"

And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving Jack standing in the doorway. As he watched her disappear into the distance, he begged her not to leave him. Tears flooded his face, he opened his eyes. It was a dream. He had fallen asleep whilst working on his machine again.

It seems as though that the only time he's allowed to see his sweet daughter was when he was asleep. "If only I realised sooner that my whole world was here, instead of looking through that damn window for another! We would have been together" he sobbed. Overcome with grief and desperation, he grabbed a hammer and began smashing the machine to pieces. As he destroyed it, he screamed and sobbed, pouring out all the pain and loneliness he had felt since the girl's disappearance.

The machine exploded with an incredible noise even loud enough to scare the birds in the trees and make them fly away.

As the last piece of the machine fell to the ground, Jack collapsed, exhausted and defeated. He lay there for hours, staring at the ruins of his dreams, until he finally closed his eyes and slipped away into the darkness.

And as he lay there, surrounded by the ghosts of his past, he knew that he had finally found the peace he had been seeking. He had lost the only person he had ever loved, but in the end, he had found a way to be with her again, even if it was only in death.

As he drew his last breath, his eyes wondered to the window once more of what once brought him hope, he sees the girls face looking at him through it, a girl that looks familiar. It was her but much older and with people beside her. She came running through the door,

"I thought I would never see you again" she cried.

The loud bang from the machine set off alerts which led her and her friends to investigate.

"I can't believe it, you came back for me"

" I'm sorry, I couldn't wait any longer. I couldn't stand being alone anymore"

"This place has changed since you left, the air is cleaner, there's clean water and plenty of food now. We can live happier than before, just like the world you saw through that window"

Jacks eyes filled with tears of joy and peace. This was the world he always wanted he wanted for himself and his daughter. It wouldn't last, Jack didn't even have the strength to speak. His eyes closed and in the arms of his beloved daughter he passed on to the next.