Prompt: Write a short story about a man who discovers a magical portal
Response:
After years of searching, John finally finds what he’s been looking for: a portal that leads to an alternate world where he is a superhero. Excited, John steps through the portal and is transported to his dream world.
Initially, everything is perfect. John is able to save people and solve mysteries with ease. However, John soon realizes that things are not as they seem. For example, the people he’s trying to help suddenly turn on him, and the crimes he’s solving are fake.
John is eventually able to piece together the truth. The magical portal he fell through was actually a Hollywood set, and the people he was saving were actors playing their parts. John was being used and abused by the producers of the show, and he was only able to maintain his status as a superhero because they kept him in the dark.
Realizing the truth has destroyed John’s confidence, and he’s now reliving the same nightmares over and over again. However, John is determined to find a way to return home, and he’ll never give up on his dream of becoming a real superhero.