Echoes of Fractured Realities

Short introduction to my 10,000-word novelette.

E-BOOK AVAILABLE SOON!

After being diagnosed with almost every possible condition over the past two months, I’ve finally been labeled with Schizoaffective disorder. It’s as if the doctor’s office runs a lottery, randomly assigning diagnoses without rhyme or reason. Despite the confusion, my symptoms persist, marked by vivid delusions. They call them delusions, but what if I remember these events as real? No one believes me, and the doctors simply prescribe medications aimed at turning me into a functional member of society.

Let me first introduce myself. My name is Aurora, and I am 27 years old. This introduction feels like something out of an AA meeting, but here it goes. I’ve struggled with issues my entire life, and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t. If they claim otherwise, they’re either lying or should be studied because this world has undeniably become dystopian. I’m not sure when the shift happened, but I am acutely aware of it now. Navigating through daily life feels like walking on a tightrope, always on the brink of losing balance. It’s exhausting, and sometimes, I wonder if others see the same fractured reality I do. Despite everything, I hold on to the glimmer of hope that there’s still a chance for change. A girl can dream still right?

Hope is about the only thing left these days for people like us. We cling to it desperately, knowing it’s the only thing we have to look forward to. Everyone else is trapped in a relentless cycle of birth, marriage, work, debt, and death. It’s a toxic cycle that many don’t survive. However, with the advent of new technology, we can now simply skip the death part and just keep playing the cycle on the rest. Well, we die, but now we have the option to come back as a new human or in a new skin suit. This knowledge makes it challenging to keep people, especially the lower class, trapped in the cycle because they can just start over as someone else. This rebirth technology has given a twisted sense of immortality to those choosing to participate. While it offers a chance to escape the cycle, it also raises questions about identity and what it truly means to be human. For some, it’s a beacon of hope; for others, a reminder of the endless, inescapable loop. I’m somewhere on the latter half.