Worth Fighting For

“Do you ever wonder if we belonged in a book?” I asked Jack. It was simply a question out of the blue that I thought about. “Or a movie…? Hey Jack, are you even listening?”

I sat in a fast-food restaurant with my best friend Jack eating dinner after a long day of high school. He looked at me with droopy eyes; he slept late last night studying for today’s math test in school. He made a great gaping yawn, then rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, can you say that again? I’m terribly exhausted from last night. You said something about… what again?”

“I wondered if we existed in a movie or a book. It’s hard to explain.” I said, chuckling at Jack’s sleepy behavior. “Not that we literally live in a book as the many letters and words. Take for example a children’s book, The Sleeping Beauty. Here, in our world it seems like a work of fiction by some author of long ago. But actually, it’s based on a true story, in another earth in another universe. I know this is starting to sound a bit like the multiple-earth  theory, but all the things that happen in all those other universes are actually fictional stories written by authors here!”

Jack nodded groggily, giving another yawn. “Excuse me, sorry. Do you have anything else to say?”

I continued with fired-up gusto as my wild ideas continued to evolve within every passing second. “It can also be the other way around! Say, our discussion right now, here in this restaurant, is actually being written by some person out there in another universe, word for word! What do you think?”

“Interesting.” Jack said once more, taking a sip from some cup with coke in an effort to wake himself up. “Do you have any scientific evidence to back your theory up, Dan? You don’t have any, do you?”

I scratched the back of my head in deep thought, thinking of a solid reason that my idea is true, or at least possible. “well, er… no, not really. It’s really just an idea that came out of the blue. But just imagine, Jack!”

“I'm sorry, but I only believe in stone-solid truth and facts.” He said, taking a huge gulp of coke. “Just the facts. But yeah, your idea does sound fascinating. Anyway, I believe that we both should be heading home. Hand me my bag, it’s right beside you.”

I felt discouraged, but I couldn’t help but think about it, even when I slept on my bed. The next day, I made up my mind: I am going to see if this out-of-the-blue idea of mine is true or not, and I’m going to find out one of these days. If I’m wrong, I’ll just go home, and no one is the wiser. But if I’m right, then boy, that will be great! But where to start? I’m just fourteen, without complete knowledge of science and math and whatnot.

First of all, I’m going to get through school. Tough as it sounds, I’m going to go all the way through college. Then I need a job of some sort, I simply do not know which. Then I’m going to put whatever plan and knowledge I put together in the future into action, and I’ll see for myself if this idea of mine is true or not. I don’t care how hard it’ll be, or how much criticism I’ll get. But I know, I’m going to do it.

* * *

Many days, weeks, months passed. I grew, physically and mentally, learning many things. I knew it was going to be hard, but it felt like it was more than I bargained for. I flunked in my studies thrice already, my parents died in a car crash, the temptations and lures of the world grew stronger. But, as I felt that I was a character (or maybe even the hero) in a story, I had to be a good character that never gave up, no matter how hard the obstacles that were hurled at me were.

As I continued to learn, I met this girl named Edith, whom I married. She wasn’t the brightest, but she would always support me. I sure needed that support when I told the world what I was researching if we were all characters in a book, but they all just laughed. “It doesn’t make any sense!” They said. This weighed me down greatly, and for some time, went into depression, doing some bad things.

Edith never gave up on me, even when I was being angry, all the way till she died of cancer. But all the more I became depressed, and missed the days when things were easier! I thought that I should give up this silly, stupid idea of mine; maybe they were all correct, my idea was dumb. I was ready to throw it all away, my life’s work, my ideologies, and any other nonsense.

But then I asked myself: should I really do this? Maybe I wasn’t really a story character, but just imagine! All those faces looking at how my unfortunate story ended. All that for nothing. It became a moral question to as should I fight for what I think is possible? Should I? Is it worth it? I would ask myself these questions time and time again. I remembered what I said to myself many years ago:” If I’m wrong, I’ll just go home, and no one is the wiser. But if I’m right, then boy, that will be great!” I thought, that if I did continue my work, and I was wrong, at least I tried doing it. There was nothing to lose anymore. Right there and then, I assured myself that I am going to continue, and fight.

Time went on, and I kept going till I had this idea-a portal leading to these other universes! There I can see for myself whether I’m right or not. Somehow, I was able to get myself a small team (they were mostly broke and were looking for a job, so I offered one!) and built that portal.

And all of these memories led to here. A fully functioning portal, leading to whatever was on the other side. I’m old now, but still going. I thought to myself how my story was going; was it a good one, and on its way to be a bestseller? Or is it a total flunk in the reading society? Something inside told me that it was beautiful.

If there are really people out there reading my story, I just want to remind you to never, ever give up on what you believe is right and true. If you are wrong, well then, you’re wrong, and you need to change whatever you made an error in. Fighting for what is right is hard and excruciating, but, if done right, the end is worth the fight.

When I got back from the portal, I was surprised to see my old friend Jack waiting for me. He ran up to me and gave a long, tight hug. He asked me, “So? Are we truly all characters in someone’s book?”

I just smiled at him, tired from all my work. “I need to rest.”