Dreams Don't Always Come True [Taylor Swift AU]

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taylor

I remember walking through the modernized city, with buildings made entirely of glass and cars that soared above my head. I remember walking into the massive laboratory, wads of cash securely in my pocket. I remember sitting in a large chair and having wires connected to my head. I know these things were real, I know they happened.

After the machine clicked on and the wires shot pulses of energy into my brain, it is unclear what is reality, and what is part of the simulation.

The year is 2550, and every aspect of my life seems perfect. Tons of money, amazing fans, and anything I could ever want.

But what people don't see is my life behind the camera lense. My life isn't perfect. Sure, I have money. But money can't improve your happiness. And yes, I have millions of supportive fans, but aside from them, the rest of the world hates me with strong passion.

And what's the point of having everything you could ever want, when all you really want is to disappear, and that is the one thing you can't have?

I am a household name. My career doesn't allow me to step foot outside my home without being blinded by paparazzi.

Underneath the red lipstick and eyeliner, my face is crumbling at every seam.

Underneath the crop tops and Prauda shoes, hide my scars.

The camera flashes make my life look like an ideal movie. But with good lighting, you can make anyone look happier.

I guess my life just got too hard. My fans started to drift away, picking at my every flaw until I was crumpled and broken from the negativity. The rumors didn't get worse, but instead disappeared entirely. My music wasn't overplayed on the radio or stuck in everyone's head. It was forgotten.

My long-time boyfriend, Adam, had decided he didn't want to date a washed up superstar who was being left in the middle of oblivion. He wanted someone fresh, fierce, and young. Not someone like me.

My parents had passed away in a plane crash, and my brother, Austin, hadn't talked to me for years. He wanted to forget about me too, just as the rest of the world did. I was alone.

The fanpages on social media made for me were deleted as people lost interest. My managers and publicists started to not show up to work.

The entire world had gone dark. Not just because I was entering a depressed state, but because everywhere I seemed to go, people left.
The lights in the biggest cities were always off. If I went to Miami, everyone who lived there would leave. So there I sat in the middle of New York City, with no paparazzi or screaming fans. No one cared. I didn't need security since no one wanted anything to do with me.

I remember the day it all started. It was December 14th, the day after my 26th birthday. A new company called MindTravel had just introduced the first-ever way to travel back or forward in time. But here's the catch: if you travel in time, you don't actually go there. It's a mind simulation. So if you had a horrible day and were willing to pay 10 thousand dollars, they would connect you to an assortment of wires, and when the machine turned on, your entire past and present would change in your mind.

The machine could simulate your brain into thinking your life was different than it really was. If you were a normal person, you could enter the simulation and be the biggest celebrity in the world. This was what most people used it for.

The officials at MindTravel would give you a quick survey, then electronically create you an ideal world, then hook you up to it.

Once the 5 hour simulation was over, your life went back to normal.

In most cases, you don't remember what happened in the simulation. After leaving the laboratory, your life should remain the same as when you entered the lab five hours earlier.

This wasn't the case for me.

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hey!!
it's Alice here.
So here's a new story...
It's an AU (alternate universe) and it's set in the future.
It might get complicated/confusing at times, so if you ever have any questions, message us on here or DM me on Instagram (my user is new.york.swift) and ask away!
I really hope you like this! I'm super excited about it!