History: "Invisible Borders"

 

Invisible Borders

Sofia woke up with the first rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains. A strange feeling of disorientation disturbed her, as if she did not fully belong in this world. That same feeling accompanied her every morning when she woke up, a slight confusion that lasted only a few minutes and left her exhausted. She felt like she was living two lives.

The reality of the morning always brought her back to her exhausting and lonely routine. She was a widow, and although she had been young when her husband died, the weight of that loss still crushed her. Her life had become a monotonous sequence of grey days in a nondescript office, typing documents, filling out forms. She spent the hours in front of the screen, disconnected, watching the clock in the hope that the day would move quickly.

Orville, her daughter, was her only light in the midst of this gloomy life. But even his presence could not remove the sadness that was rooted in her chest. Orville was barely ten years old, and even though Sofia did everything she could to make sure her daughter did not feel the absence of a father, loneliness enveloped them both. Sometimes, seeing Orville's smile while he played, Sofia wondered how he could be so happy in the midst of all this.

However, everything changed at night.

When Sofia closed her eyes and fell asleep, she found herself in another world. It was a completely different life, almost perfect. She was married to a loving man, someone who adored her, who shared his life with her in a way she had never experienced in her real life. In that universe, Sofia felt such intense bliss that she was afraid to wake up, wishing the dream would never end.

But there was something strange about those dreams. In her dream life, she was unable to have children. The emptiness of motherhood haunted her in that dream reality, and although her husband loved her unconditionally, they both lived with the sorrow of not being able to start a family.

Orville, however, was not entirely absent from that world. He appeared in an unusual form: as an ethereal, almost translucent girl. In Sofia's dreams, Orville was a ghostly figure, a girl who appeared in moments of silence, in the corners of her dream home, silently watching her from the shadows.

The first time she dreamed, Sofia didn't understand what was happening. She woke up to an idyllic life, in a warm and cozy house, sitting next to her husband in the living room. They were talking quietly, enjoying a quiet evening, when suddenly she felt a presence in the room. She turned her head and could see the little girl. She didn't seem out of place, but something about her appearance was unsettling.

—"Who is she?"— she asked her husband, pointing to the spectral figure.

He looked at her, strangely, as if he didn't see anyone.

—"Who?"— He asked, frowning.

Sofia felt a chill run down her spine. The girl was there, staring at her, but no one else could see her. It was Orville, but not the Orville of her everyday life, but an ethereal version, a reflection of the girl she knew.

In the days that followed, the ghost girl kept appearing in her dreams. Sometimes she would stay nearby, watching her from the corner of the room, and other times she would disappear completely. She didn't speak, but her presence was constant. Sofia didn't know whether she should feel comforted or disturbed by this apparition.

When she woke up, she found herself back in her monotonous reality. The transition was painful, as if the happiness she experienced in her dreams had suddenly vanished, leaving her even more empty. She looked at Orville, her real daughter, with a mixture of love and bewilderment. "Why was Orville present in both worlds?" she thought.

One evening, while they were dining together, Orville broke the silence with an unexpected confession.

—"Mom, I saw a ghost last night," Orville said, playing with his food.

Sofia, surprised, dropped her fork.

—"What?"— He asked, trying to remain calm.

—"Yes, a ghost. It was a lady... she looked a lot like you, but she wasn't sad."

Sofia felt her heart skip a beat. Her daughter's description was disturbing. "Could it be that Orville was also experiencing some sort of connection between these two worlds?" Her mind was racing.

—"And what was that lady doing?"— Sofia tried to sound carefree, but her voice trembled slightly.

—"He was just looking at me. He wasn't scary, he just looked... happy," Orville replied nonchalantly.

Sofia felt a chill. She swallowed, trying to process her daughter's confession. "Did Orville see the version of her that lived in dreams?"

—"What...what is that lady like?"— He asked cautiously.

Orville stopped drawing and stared at her with a serenity that seemed beyond his years.

—"That's nice." He said as if thinking about it.

Sofia asked , "Have you seen him before?"

The girl nodded . "Oh, yes. Sometimes he sits with me and tells me stories. He told me that he is very happy, but that he misses me."

Sofia didn't know what to answer. Her mind was full of questions. "What did all that mean? Why did both mother and daughter seem to be inexplicably connected to that other world?" She stood up from the table, feeling the weight of both universes begin to fall on her.

That night, in her dreams, she encountered the ghostly version of Orville. This time, the girl spoke for the first time.

—"Why are you sad, mom?"

Sofia tried to respond, but the words stuck in her throat.

—"I miss you, you know?"— The girl said, her voice echoing softly —"In this world, I can't be with you."

Sofia woke up in a cold sweat. She knew something was wrong. Her life, or lives, were beginning to intertwine in ways she didn't understand. She needed answers, but the main question was still there, lingering and terrifying: "Which of these two realities was the true one?"

As the days passed, Sofia began to doubt everything she believed to be real. She could not ignore the contrast between the two realities. She knew it must be a dream, but the intensity and coherence of that dream life disturbed her.

His nerves began to alert him, and he felt reality crumbling. For months he had tried to rationalize his experiences, but this crossed any boundaries of logic . -"How could Orville see something that only existed in his dreams? Was he reading his mind?"-

That night, when she arrived in her other world, her husband was there, loving and attentive.

—"I've been thinking," Sofia said as he stroked her hair . "Why don't we have children?"

Her husband looked at her with a pained expression. He knew this was a question that had never left them alone.

—"We couldn't, Sofia. We just couldn't. But here we are, you and me. That's what's important."

Suddenly, Orville's figure appeared, as always, like a shadow in the dream. The ghost girl approached Sofia.

—"Mom"— said the girl —"It's time to wake up"-

For weeks, Sofia was plunged into a desperate search for answers. She visited doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, each more baffled than the last. They conducted neurological tests, explored her medical and emotional history, and subjected her to countless therapy sessions. The answer was always the same: stress, emotional exhaustion, or perhaps a form of unresolved grief over her husband’s death.

But Sofia knew there was something more. It wasn't just a figment of her imagination. The clarity of her dreams, the tangible connection between both worlds and Orville's ghostly appearance could not be reduced to simple hallucinations or subconscious fantasies. It wasn't just a state of mind, it was something much deeper. How then to explain her daughter's confession about the ghost?

Just when she felt she was losing hope, when the nights were beginning to bring her more anguish than comfort, Sofia made a decision. If conventional medicine couldn't give her answers, perhaps science beyond the known boundaries of consciousness could.

On a rainy afternoon, he came across an article online about a research institute specializing in advanced neuroscience and quantum physics. The Kessler Institute, located in a remote area outside the city, explored what many considered the most speculative frontiers of the human mind: the possibility that consciousness could exist simultaneously in multiple realities.

She tried to read as much as she could about his research. One of his most talked-about studies was about 'entangled quantum consciousness', an exotic theory that suggested that under certain states, the human mind could connect with alternate versions of itself in other parallel universes.

The article detailed that the Kessler Institute was run by Dr. Nathan Harrison, a neuroscientist and quantum physicist whose ideas challenged the boundaries of what was accepted by the traditional scientific community. His work was rife with speculation and criticism, but Sofia felt that this was the only direction he had not yet explored.

She made up her mind and made an appointment. The receptionist at the school's first reaction was skepticism.

—"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we don't handle regular clinical cases. We are dedicated exclusively to experimental research."

—"It's not a regular clinical case," Sofia insisted, almost desperately . "I think what I'm experiencing has to do with your research. Please... I just need to talk to Dr. Harrison. If after that you can't help me, I'll leave you."

There was silence on the line. After a few seconds, the receptionist answered.

A few days later, Sofia found herself in front of the imposing Kessler Institute building. It was a modern complex, with white walls and large windows that contrasted with the wooded landscape that surrounded it. As she entered, she found the atmosphere strange, a mix of scientific calm and an underlying energy that reminded her that the deepest mysteries of the mind were being explored there.

—"Dr. Harrison will see you in a few minutes," an assistant told her, guiding her into a minimalist room.

Dr. Nathan Harrison turned out to be a middle-aged man with unkempt hair and glasses that drooped slightly on his nose. He did not look like an aloof scientist; rather, he seemed curious and slightly eccentric.

—"Sofia, right?"— The doctor said in a slow voice —"Please, sit down. I understand that you have been experiencing something unusual."-

Sofia nervously began to recount her experiences. She spoke of the dreams, of the man she was married to in that other world, of the ghostly appearance of her daughter Orville in both planes. The doctor listened attentively, showing no signs of judgment or disbelief.

—"What you describe, Sofia, is not so far-fetched if we consider certain theories," Nathan finally commented, as he leaned back in his chair . "We have been exploring the idea that human consciousness is not limited only to this reality. There are hypotheses about what we call 'quantum entanglement of consciousness'. The theory suggests that, under certain mental states, such as deep sleep, it is possible for consciousness to jump between different branches of reality. In other words, it is possible that you are connected to another version of yourself in a parallel universe."

—"And my daughter?" — Sofia asked —"How is it possible that she is also present in both realities?" —

The doctor stood up and walked to a whiteboard where he began to sketch out a diagram.

—"Something even more interesting could be happening. Orville, your daughter, could have a stronger connection between both realities than we imagine. If we accept the theory of multiple worlds, of branes and parallel universes, each branch of reality can represent different decisions or circumstances. In one reality, you are a widow and have Orville. In the other, you are happily married, but you cannot have children. However, Orville's consciousness, as an entity, may be transcending those branches, existing in both realities in a different way: in one world as your physical daughter, in another as an ethereal manifestation."

Sofia put a hand to her head, trying to process everything she was hearing.

—"What can I do?"— she asked, in a whisper— "I don't want to lose Orville... but I don't want to leave that other life either."—

Dr. Harrison looked at him with pity.

—"This is where things get complicated. If both realities are so deeply intertwined, your mind might not be able to withstand the tension indefinitely. It's possible that if you continue to exist in both realities, your consciousness will begin to fragment. You've already begun to notice the consequences: the confusion upon waking, the bouts of disorientation. There will come a time when you'll have to choose."

Sofia felt the ground beneath her feet - "How to choose between two lives?" - she thought to herself.

—"What if I don't?"— He asked almost anxiously —"What will happen if I don't choose?"-

Dr. Harrison looked into her eyes with a grave expression.

—"You could lose both realities, Sofia. The fragmentation could lead to an irreversible mental breakdown. If you decide to keep this reality, we could try to stabilize your connection, ensuring that your consciousness remains intact. If you choose to keep the reality of your dreams, with your husband and without your daughter, it will have to be through permanent hospitalization and sedation. We currently know of no means to transport anyone between parallel realities or universes."

Sofia remained silent, processing what she had just heard. Two lives, two loves, two versions of her daughter... and only one choice.

—"So it doesn't matter if what I live in my dreams is not just a dream, but another reality? I have no way to escape my widowhood with Orville...the loneliness..."- The woman spoke to herself as she finished the sentence in a whisper.

—"Maybe it is, and maybe you are experiencing both timelines, albeit with some limitations. The human mind can perceive these alternate universes in altered states of consciousness, such as sleep. But if this phenomenon persists, your mind could fragment. You must be very careful. It is one thing to perceive the parallel universe, but there is still no means to jump between those realities."

Sofia reflected silently . "I really feel connected to another world..." If that life was real in a parallel universe, then who was she in each one?

That night, as she fell asleep, she faced her husband with an inescapable truth.

-"You're not real" - He said sadly -"This place isn't real" -

He looked at her, but he didn't seem surprised.

—"Sofia, what you're experiencing in a dream is as real as your waking life. I thought you knew that. Neither life is real. Orville doesn't exist. Everything you experience is simulations created by the Kessler Institute. You're a volunteer in a neuroscience experiment."

At her husband's words, horror gripped Sofia. She replied , "It can't be! Orville needs me." She woke up sobbing as tears ran down her cheeks.

When he opened his eyes, a smiling Dr. Nathan Harrison was at his bedside. He was accompanied by a young nurse. They both looked relaxed and smiling.

-"Good morning, Sofia. We have reached the final stage of the experiment." The doctor seemed pleased.

Slowly awakening in what was once a sleep laboratory, he remembered that he had been   part of an experiment to explore the limits of human consciousness.

Everything she had experienced, whether with Orville or with her husband, had not been parallel realities, but simulations created by a neuroscience experiment at the Kessler Institute. Her real life, the one she had completely forgotten, had never included her daughter or her husband.

On one hand, his mind burst with joy. His mind was fine, nothing was breaking it apart. But on the other hand, he had to face the harsh truth of his true existence, which was marked by absolute loneliness.

After an interview that lasted about an hour, Dr Harrison rubbed his hands together with emotion. He said: "It has been a wonderful experience. I thank you for your contribution to science." He shook hands effusively.

As she left, the secretary handed her a generous check. Turning to Sofia, she said: "Next week we will begin another experiment. You have high qualifications to be chosen among the possible candidates." The secretary said goodbye with a smile.

The rest of the day she felt like a freed prey, free from the mental shackles that had haunted her. It had all felt so real! The doctor warned her of some side effects. The intertwining of the two realities would fade away when she was taken off the sleep-inducing drugs.

She could not help but feel uncomfortable, like she was being invaded by her own life. It was a strange feeling and she wanted to talk to Harrison on the phone. The Doctor told her that Orville and her ideal husband were probably her own longings, which had manifested themselves in the form of dreams.

At night she kept thinking about her world as a widow, about Orville, the daughter she couldn't have in this universe, and the other universe, with a loving husband. Tiredness closed her eyes. As she was drifting off into a deep, restful sleep, she heard Orville's voice whispering in her ear:

-"Mom, you don't have to be sad. Happiness is not in what you live, but in how   you interpret your reality."-

END