Moar!
The drowsiness weighing on his eyelids made it a struggle for him to remain conscious. He jerked his head quickly toward her, taking in the last sights he could before the darkness of sleep came over him.
“Come back with me,” he whispered. “We can find each other. We can make this work.”
Her hesitation said it all. The brief moment before her lips parted was agonizingly long for him. He knew her answer even before the syllables formed in her mouth. She couldn’t ever go back. This new world was her escape from the life she once knew. Whether it was real, or just a shared imagination, this place was her new home, the opportunity for a fresh start. By now, this place had engrossed her senses and become her only reality.
The difference between them was that he couldn’t stay. As vivid and real as this place seemed, it wasn’t his life. Though the experiences here were just as tangible as any in his old life, he knew that it wasn’t where he was supposed to be. This was all temporary to him. A fantastic life filled with adventure and excitement, but not his.
Whatever reason she let slip for staying behind merged with the rest of the story in his mind, quickly becoming indistinguishable from the plethora of words absorbed over that time. It didn’t matter to Vincent, though, because he knew they were empty. She could never give an excuse for not coming home, for in her eyes, she was home.
Armed with the memories of his journey, Vincent awoke to an alarm sitting on his nightstand. He basked in the familiarity of his room for a moment, and slowly placed his feet on the ground. Those were the first steps of the rest of his life.