Josh's Alternate Universe
Once upon a time, in a city known as San Francisco, there lived a boy named Josh. He was an average kid, leading a very ordinary life. He was neither too athletic nor he was a whiz at computers. One fine day, he found a magical book in his grandmother's attic. The book was titled, 'The Key to Alternate Universes'. Being a curious kid, Josh started reading it. The book unraveled a world of fantasy, filled with unlimited possibilities, parallel timelines, and a universe almost similar to his own yet different in every essence.
The book guided him to a secret chamber under his house where he found a portal. A portal so magnetic that it was impossible for him to resist the urge to step into it. Surprisingly, the portal took him to an alternate universe, the universe described in his book. It bore a strange yet familiar resemblance to his own world. The buildings were the same, the people looked the same, even his school was standing where it was in his real world. However, there was an underlying difference.
In this world, Josh was not an ordinary kid, he was a superhero. He had advanced computational skills, could fly and was incredibly athletic. The alternate universe Josh was loved by all and had a beautiful friend named Amy who admired him enormously.
Back in his real world, Josh was an introverted kid who had always secretly loved Amy, but she hardly knew him. But in this alternate universe, he was everything that he had dreamed of being. Living the life of his dreams, Josh made the most of it. He saved the city multiple times, learned complex coding, won athletic competitions, and spent quality time with Amy.
This happy phase didn't last long, the magical book warned him about the imbalance in the universes due to his prolonged stay in the alternate universe. The book explained. Every universe had a balance, and his presence was causing the balance to shift.
Reluctant to let go of his perfect life, Josh continued to stay ignorant, until one day, he saw cracks forming in his alternate universe. The longer he stayed, the more the cracks widened. He realized how his selfishness was leading to the destruction of this world. With a heavy heart, he decided to return to his world.
As he was leaving, he saw this universe's Josh, lost and confused. He realized the counterpart was trapped in his non-superhero world. He explained everything and convinced him to swap their places back. They stepped into the portal together, and in a blink of an eye, he was back in his world.
It was a bittersweet homecoming; his ordinary life wasn’t as glitzy as the life in the alternate universe, but it was his life, his world. Josh learned a valuable lesson. He realized he didn't have to be in an alternate universe to be extraordinary. All he needed was confidence and the courage to step out of his comfort zone. He started coding, he ran for the athletic meets and most importantly, he confessed his feelings to Amy. No matter how simple their world was, Josh was ready to make it extraordinary.