I take another step, then another. Soon, I’m walking.

A short distance away is a strange looking machine, a capsule of some sort. As I get closer, I see a glass plate on its front most side. To its right there’s a short stand, and on top of it a small button. I take another step, look through the glass plate.

There, on the other side, is myself.

I turn around. She’s standing behind me a short distance away, silent. She looks up at me timidly. Almost weakly. I try to smile, but it doesn’t help. Tears continue to fall from her eyes.

“Aren’t you happy here?” She shudders, breathes in tremulously. “We made it for you. All of us. We thought this is what you wanted.” She takes a step forward, hesitates. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

I shake my head. “It isn’t real.”

She looks down at her feet, hovering esoterically. Over what, I’m not sure. “What will happen to us?” She looks up again, into my eyes. “What will happen to you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“I don’t know.” I sigh. “I guess I’m just done dreaming.”

I turn around. After a moment’s hesitation, I press the button on the stand. The capsule hisses as compressed air is let out from small, grated vents at the machine’s base. Its face, a door, opens slowly. Myself, naked, opens his eyes. Slowly, he crawls out, stands awkwardly, barely retaining his balance.

I look into myself’s eyes. Into my own eyes. Our eyes.

Myself nods. “Can I wake up now?”

“Sure.”

Myself smiles. Walking past me, he stands next to her. She can’t bring herself to look at either of us, but it doesn’t matter. She’ll always be there, I suppose. Somewhere.

Before I go, she relents and looks at me.

Cocking her head, she does it. She giggles. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

I close my eyes.

When I open them again, the two are gone. As is the doorway. And the boy. The plaza and the town. The island and the ocean surrounding it.

Everything is gone.

Walking over to the capsule, I sit down inside. The door shuts as I get situated and closes.

Then, I wake up.