The Pain

William hadn't anticipated the pain. The pain was substantial. If he could have screamed, if he could have cried, he would have, but whatever was happening to William as he travelled from one side of the crack to the other rendered him completely inert. He was blind. He was deaf. The only thing he had was the pain.

And then, a few seconds later, a million years later, it ended. William found himself laying on the floor in his lab, just in front of the wall with the crack, only the crack wasn't there. He could still feel a remnant of the pain, but William fought through it, forcing himself up to his knees, then, after much effort, to his feet. First he took stock in himself. There was no blood, no visible injuries. Aside from a slight acrid smell on his slacks and shirt, everything about him was okay.

His lab, too, was exactly the same. Had William even left his reality? Had he just subjected himself to all that pain, only to send himself back to where he had begun? William closed his eyes and breathed deeply. No, there wasn't enough evidence yet. He knew that realities could be very similar. The changes from one to the other could be so insignificant that one might not even notice them. He needed to explore.

Steadying himself by leaning on a workstation, William opened his eyes and took a step. Then another. Each step pushed the pain from his body until, finally, he felt normal. Encouraged by this, William left his lab, only to be met by...