To be Real

A Story by LitlSistr420

After spending about 20 years paralyzed in a bed, a girl by the name of Rose continues on her life's exquisite journey. (Chapter 2)

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt something other than emotion. There was a slight tingling feeling in my index finger, I could almost lift it up! This was such a weird sensation ,as I had not felt any sort of physical touch for what I thought was about twenty years.

For those of you who have not yet read about my story, you must know that around twenty years ago I was at the splendid age of fourteen. I had such a wonderful life. A loving mother and father, an amazing best friend, and a grandpa whose eyes were as mysterious as the stars. Last and perhaps least, I had the most outrageous curiosity. That is what got me into this state that I am currently in.

I am paralyzed, without the sense of sound, and cannot speak. While these things may seem grim, I have achieved an amazing sense of sight. I have seen further than anyone else has seen. Secrets of the world as we knew, have been unraveled. You see, we are nothing but a simulation that an advanced society has created. While this knowledge was troubling to me at first, and still is to some extent. I have accepted it, and have thought about it more than you could ever imagine.

Do you want to know the saddest part of it all? The one person who shared the same knowledge as I was my grandpa, Louie. One day, however, he was carried out of this room as a dead man.

It has been about eight years since grandpa Louie was brought out of that bed beside me. Since then it has been more lonely than ever. Yes, we couldn't talk to each other. However, we communicated with our eyes. As silly as that may sound, we had some sort of deeper connection.

Since my finger has begun to move, I have wondered if maybe grandpa was beginning to regain control of his body as well, before he died of course. Perhaps he did, I just couldn't see such small movements because I couldn't move my head , I could only move my eyes. Maybe if he were still here today, I could see those small movements , as I have begun to regain some control over my body.

As you have already heard, it started a little while ago with my index finger, then my middle finger, then my pinky finger, and soon I could just about lift my whole hand. By the next week I could move my head around. Then it started happening faster and faster, totally out of the blue. My arm, my leg, my foot, and everything else! The only problem was that I had forgotten how to walk, how to sip a glass of water, everything that seems normal to you.

It was frightening at first, but the nurses helped me. I learned how to walk, run, drink, eat, and use the bathroom all over again! Eventually, I was even able to hear! At first, I couldn't believe it, and I was scared! But then I got used to it, and for once in a lifetime, I seemed somewhat normal.

Little did I know, that was the easy part. The hard part would be walking out of "The Home of the Sick". Nevertheless , one day the nurses said I was ready to go. This single statement filled me with joy, just by the thought of seeing my family and my community again! I believe they had come to visit me many times before, but not much since grandpa Louie died. It must've saddened them to think that grandpa Louie's fate may have been the same as mine.

Finally, I opened the door of "The Home of the Sick", and the light of my community glistened upon me. I was so happy, yet so sad I had missed out on twenty years of this life, although I wasn't sure if I could call it a life anymore. The community looked similar, brick buildings lining the streets, and people bustling around. Yet, somehow it felt different. No, I felt different.

I no longer viewed this place as a loving home. I viewed it as a simulation, a place for aliens to study, a fake world. Perhaps I had also avoided such a simple question I asked myself earlier. Would I tell people this was fake? Would they believe me? Would they understand? What would I do? How was I supposed to live my life knowing this? I didn't know, I just wanted to see my community and family before thinking too much.

"But that's the problem!!!" I yelled out loud. The bustling of the streets froze around me. "Nothing is real..." I whispered to myself. People stared at me, like I was insane. I noticed I said that out loud, and I froze with embarrassment. Then, I caught myself in thought. I realized if I kept living with a constant battle raging inside myself, I would never be able to function. So, I decided what I needed to do.

"STOP!!!" I screamed. "you, you.. people don't realize what is going on. I don't know how to explain this in a good way, but." I said with a sigh. "Nothing is real. Everything you think, breathe, smell, taste, see, isn't real." I said with confidence.

I stopped to realize a familiar voice. "Rose.. honey, what are you saying?" exclaimed mother with tears of joy and sadness in her eyes.

"I don't KNOW!!" I huffed. Mother and I hugged, both of us crying out of love and confusion. I was about to continue my speech, but my mother looked behind me and began sobbing, I had no idea what was happening. Who or what was she sobbing about? I turned around, and felt the most confused and happy I had ever felt for a long time.

Standing right in front of me was grandpa Louie. Smiling from ear to ear, not in a bed, not paralyzed, not dead. He was standing right there! "Rosie!" he exclaimed. I ran towards him and we hugged each other so tight that I couldn't breathe!

"How...what...grandpa?" I said with a shaky voice.

"Rosie, my dear granddaughter. It is all okay now, you see this town, this community, was made as a simulation. For these aliens to study, everything was a simulation, until you and I became more real than the aliens ever imagined. So they slowly lured us to the border, to.. paralyze us, stop us, until they could think of what to do. Then when they thought of a plan, they brought me to them, answered all of my questions, our questions." grandpa Louie told me with a glimmer in his eyes.

"Well...then, what is the plan?" I shouted with enthusiasm!

"They will let us continue to live, and all of the people you see around us will begin to develop a real life as well. We will teach them what ,real, IS, and we will guide them." grandpa Louie explained. I was so excited, I was practically jumping around the street!

"What does all of this mean?" mother asked.

"We will teach you" grandpa and I said in unison.