The Journey Through the Window

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. It was dark, gloomy and cold. It even looked emptier than the Dwelling that Journey called home.

Even still, Journey often sat by the window, looking out. She tried to imagine what it once was in the time before. She heard stories and saw pictures but she had never lived in the times the tales told of. So, it was hard to imagine, but still every day Journey would sit by Grandfather's window, look out, and hope to see something that just wasn't there anymore.

She wasn't allowed to touch the window and Grandfather never opened it. Journey wondered why. Why did Grandfather keep a window, if he never opened it. But what if he did open it? Journey wondered. What if he opened it sometimes when she wasn't around? She wondered but wouldn't ask. Although, she thought to ask other questions now more than ever.

As Grandfather was sitting at his desk this day, quietly writing in one of his books, Journey thought to ask him about some of the things that weighed heavily on her mind.

"Grandfather? Why did my mother call me Journey? Why didn't she call me Anna, or Ella, or even Marie? I know a Marie and she doesn't get teased for her name the way I do," said Journey curiously.

Grandfather paused, put down his pen, and looked over at Journey intently. "Well," he said, "your mother always wanted to go on a journey. Ever since she was a little girl like you, she dreamed of having one and then one day she did. She left. She went on a journey and she came back with you. That's probably why she named you that and it's a lovely name if you ask me."

"Oh," said Journey softly, "and what about my father? Did I have one? Did my mother ever say so?"

Grandfather looked back down at his book and began to write again, "Uh, I guess. Biologically, everyone has a father. But I'm sorry Journey. I don't know anything about yours."

"Nothing?" Journey asked confused.

"Nothing," said Grandfather.

Journey paused wondering how Grandfather could know so little about her father. If she couldn't ask Grandfather, then who could she ask? Mother was no longer here and where she was, not even Grandfather knew. Journey sadly realized that she would probably never know her father but at least she had Grandfather she thought. Grandfather had raised her since she was a toddler and he was in a way, like a father to her.

Still, she had her own questions regarding Grandfather. There was a lot that she didn't know. What was Grandfather always writing about in his books? Why was Grandfather not close to any of the other Dwellers in the Dwelling? Why did Grandfather keep a window when there was no longer anything nice to look at outside of it? Most Dwellers got rid of their windows. They felt that windows were constant reminders of how sad and empty the Earth had become. They still had air though, of course, they had ventilation systems and occasionaly went out for air if they wanted to. Not many did though, there wasn't much out there anymore.

"Grandfather?" asked Journey shyly once she'd worked up the courage to ask another question, "Why do they call you The Inventor?"

"Who called me that?" He asked, squinting his eyes as he looked over at her.

"Mr. Kade," she said, "There came a traveler today, and I was curious so I hid in the hall. The traveler saw me and asked who I was and Mr. Kade said, 'Oh, don't worry. That's just Journey, the Inventor's granddaughter."

"I was an inventor once. Not anymore," Grandfather said shaking his head.

"But why not anymore? Why did you stop inventing things?" Journey asked curiously.

"Because my last invention, cost me someone I loved dearly," said Grandfather sadly.

"Who?"asked Journey.

"Your mother," he said almost in a whisper.

"My mother? What was it? What was your invention?" Journey asked.

Grandfather pointed over to the window of his room.

"The window? But it's just a window isn't it?" Journey asked looking over again at Grandfather's window.

"That's what it looks like, doesn't it? But it's so much more than just a window. Why do you think I won't let you touch it? Why do you think I never open it? It wasn't made to look through. It was made to go through," said Grandfather boldly.

"So my mother went on her journey through the window?" Journey asked.

"Yes, at first she would sneak through and return before I could find out. Then one day, she dissapeared for almost a year. When she came back, she came with you. She said you needed protecting until you were old enough. I should've destroyed that window when I had the chance but she said that she had one thing left to do. I begged her not to go but she went and I've been waiting for her to come back ever since. I don't know if she will, but I keep the window for her and I wait," he said.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Journey hid, as she often did, for she was a timid child, at least to everyone who wasn't Grandfather. Grandfather rose up from his chair and walked over to the door.

"Who is it?" he asked loudly.

"It's the one who's come for the child," the voice behind the door bellowed. Journey recognized the voice. It was the same voice of the traveler that she'd heard earlier in the hall. Why did he come for her now and not then? Maybe it was because of mother, Journey thought in fear. Maybe he'd just learned that The Inventor's granddaughter was the daughter of one who journeys through portals into other lands, she thought.

Grandfather looked over at Journey, his eyes full of worry. He ran over to the window and opened it wide. It was the first time Journey had ever seen the window open. When opened, it didn't look like any other window. The view when she looked through Grandfather's window was like nothing she'd ever seen before.

"You must go through the window," Grandfather whispered as the traveler banged on the door, demanding Grandfather to let him in.

"I can't," Journey said shaking her head, "I don't know where I'm going."

"You will find your way," said Grandfather, "If your mother could, you can too."

"But she's lost," said Journey hesitantly.

"But maybe you're the one who is meant to find her," Grandfather said nudging her toward the window. "Be brave. If you don't go, who knows what might happen to you. Go on. You're own journey has begun."

The door to the room began to open. Mr. Kade who had the keys to everything, was aiding the traveler. Journey climbed through the window and braced herself for whatever was to come as Grandfather slammed the window shut and locked it.

The window looked only as a window again. It's only view, a dark, gloomy, cold world called Earth. Meanwhile, Journey had just stepped into a forest well lit with bright and warm sunshine.

She was far away from home, or so she thought.