"You have to flip each switch at the same time." Stanley told his younger brother Jim.
Jim looked at his brother and said: "Are you sure this is gonna work."
"I've spent my whole life on this, it has to," Stanley said with a drop of sweat running down his face.
"Alright, I'm ready whenever you are." Jim told his brother, who was standing there admiring his work of art. He gave his brother the thumbs up and Jim began to count down "3" and with each number Stanley's heart began to beat faster and faster.
"2,1 and go." and nothing happened.
"What happened?" Stanley asked
"I have no clue" Jim responded.
After a few minutes of rummaging around the hardware Jim told his brother "We have to go get some sleep or we will never be able to fix this." Even though neither of them would get much sleep anyways that night. Later that night Stanley heard a noise coming from the basement. So he went to the basement to find a little portal beginning to form. The portal was causing everything to shake. Stanly walked into the testing room. He could feel it pulling him forward. As he got closer it got stronger and he couldn't escape it and just like that he was gone.
When Stanley awoke he was in a grassy plain. He sat there dazed for a few minutes. But he realized he had to figure out where he was before it got dark. So he got up and walked around and found a forest. As he walked he couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong with his portal. Growing up he was a very curious little boy, so he wanted to learn about the world around him. This would lead him, with the help of his brother, to create the machine. This machine would help prove the idea that there are other universes like our own but different in various ways. It would do this by making a portal so we can access these universes. So Stanley walked around this world not knowing if it was his own or if he had succeeded and was now in an alternate version of Earth.
He would stumble upon a forest and climb up a tree to try and get a better vantage point. That's when he saw a hut in the distance and figured that someone had to be nearby and maybe they could help him figure out what happened. When he got there he knocked on the door.
"̈Is anyone home" He asked to no response.
The sun was going to set soon so, he let himself in. When he opened the door, he saw a small table surrounded by chairs. He continued to explore the house in the next room and found a bed and next to it were some drawers. Since there was no one there he had stayed because it was getting dark, if someone came home maybe they could help him. He laid down on the bed when it got dark to get some rest.
He woke up not being able to move and in the dark. He could feel the rope on his wrist and he tried to escape but it was no use. That's when a light got switched on and he saw a troll.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOME!"
The troll yelled and Stanley quickly responded and said
"My name is Stanley and I was teleported here from a place called Earth."
The troll stood there and looked at Stanley trying to figure out if he was lying.
"Please you have to help me get home I don't even know where I am"
Stanley would plea. There was a long pause before the troll would reply with
"How do I know you're not lying or just insane."
"I know it looks like I'm crazy but I'm clearly no troll and have you seen anything that looks like me around here." Stanley said.
The troll didn't say anything he just walked over and untied Stanley.
"Thank you so much, but why are you untying me when you don't know what I am or what I can do." "Because there are other beings like you just that they don't speak and are hairier. If what you say is true then I can help you and you can help me." the troll said.
"That sounds great but what do you need me to help you with."
"There have been two sides at war for a few hundred years. It has been trolls against elves and up to this point the elves have been winning. They were the first to crack interdimensional travel. Giving them access to resources we don't." the troll said.
"So that's why you didn't question me because you knew it was possible?" Stanley said.
"Yes. I know some people in the army so they should be able to help you out."
"Sounds good. I didn't get your name."
"My name is Kurt"
"Alright Kurt let's go meet up with your army friends"
And with that they were off to meet up with Kurt's army friends. When they got to the army base. They gave Stanley everything he needed and he got right to work. Many restless nights were spent perfecting his machine. About a week after he first arrived he had completed his machine.
"Alright It's go time we have to flip each switch at the same time."
Stanley said with a shaky voice remembering the outcome of the last time he was in this situation. Stanley counted down again "3,2,1" and with that a small swirl began to develop in the middle of the machine.
" It's working!"
Stanley yelled with a more assertive tone. But then the machine exploded. Waking Stanley up from his dream.
