He gazed at the sky, where towering skyscrapers pierced the clouds. He felt a pang of envy and disbelief, knowing that his own world had only one such building, a recent addition that was the pride of his city. But this was not his world. This was a dream. A nightmare. "Not again," he muttered under his breath. He walked along the sidewalk, trying to memorize the way to his apartment. He had no hope of waking up unless he died. And he was not ready to die. He glanced at the traffic, where sleek and futuristic cars zoomed by. He knew they were from a different time, a time that was five years ahead of his own. He touched his face, feeling the smoothness of his skin. He looked younger than he really was. He wondered why. And he wondered what would happen next.
He sprinted to his house, feeling the sweat dripping from his forehead. He checked the clock. It was 8:23 AM. He had just completed his daily jog, a habit he had picked up from his high school days. He was 15 years old, and the fastest runner in the city of Allen. His mother's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Cain, hurry up and break your fast, or you'll miss your school bus!" He nodded and rushed to finish his morning tasks. He grabbed his backpack and headed to school.
He woke up with a knot in his stomach as if something bad was about to happen. He flashed back to the day that changed his life forever. It was 13th April 2010, when he tried to save his classmate from a speeding car that lost control and hit her with full force. He saw her body fly in the air, and then fall to the ground, lifeless. He felt a sharp pain in his leg, where the car had grazed him. He screamed in agony and horror. He never forgot that day.
He spent the next three years recovering from his injury and his trauma. He learned to walk again, but he could never run. He learned to cross the road again, but he always felt a surge of fear. He learned to live again, but he always felt guilty. He wondered if he could have done more to save her. He wondered if he could have a second chance.
He got his second chance, in his dreams. He found himself in a different world, where the accident never happened. Where she was still alive. He felt a mix of joy and dread, knowing that this was not real. He decided to make the most of it and try to prevent the tragedy from happening again. He ran to his school, ignoring the pain in his leg. He spotted her on the sidewalk, near the school entrance. She looked like she was waiting for someone. He approached her and said, "Hello". She turned around, surprised and annoyed. She looked at his face, and said, "What do you want? You never talk to me." She smirked, as if she knew something he didn't. He felt a twinge of anger, but he ignored it. He asked her who she was waiting for. She said she was waiting for her driver, who had forgotten her assignment at home.
The driver showed up and handed her the assignment. She thanked him and started to cross the road with Cain. Cain felt a familiar sense of dread, as he saw a car speeding towards them. It looked like it had no brakes. He knew what was going to happen. He acted on instinct and grabbed her hand. He pulled her towards the school gate, hoping to escape the car. But the car swerved and followed them. Cain ran to the playground, still holding her hand. The car smashed into the school wall, killing the driver.
The sound of the crash attracted a crowd of people. The school principal called 911, and soon the ambulance and the police arrived. They found out that the car had a brake failure, and that the driver was drunk. They were relieved that no children were hurt. They left to deal with the aftermath. The school gate was ruined, and the principal declared a holiday for the day.