Back in the real world....

It was a brief appearance, with a handful of eyewitnesses. But sometimes that's enough.

Newspaper reporters frantically typed up articles after frantic interviews. Headlines screaming, "TRUMAN SIGHTED! TRUMAN LIVES!"

And it was all over the evening news.

"This just in, about 25 people at the edge of the studio dome that once housed the wildly popular, 'The Truman Show," reported seeing the absent star himself. Eyewitnesses reported seeing him in the doorway at the edge of the dome's entrance. Of course, the oddity in this fact is that the star had abruptly vanished about a month ago when millions watched him leave the set that he had called home for 30 years. Everyone is talking about his sudden appearance, and equally sudden disappearance? We now go live to Sheila Winters, on location. Sheila?"

And they cut to a reporter who speaks with one eyewitness testifying how they saw Truman standing in the doorway with shock, and then closing the door a moment later. But when some of the people opened the door a moment later, there was no sign of him.

Wild rumors flew fast and furious. He was secretly living in the dome somewhere, but away from the cameras. That rumor was squashed soon after by the director who was already planning a new reality show with the actors who played Marlon and Viviene to get together, and bear the first on-air conception for their new star with a new show. The old sets were being remodeled, and improved for the new show. There would be no place for the former star to hide.

Other rumors suggested aliens, assassination, kidnapping, and some with especially twisted mindsets claiming that he was taken up to heaven. The sighting only fueled the rumor fire further, and the police did a brief investigation around the doorway. But there was no evidence of foul play, or really anything.

A small group of devoted fans began congregating around the spot, hoping for another sighting. And elsewhere, people would sometimes claim they saw him in other locations. A few comedians joked that he was taking over Elvis's beat on that apparently.

Shortly after the sighting, a few weeks later, once some of the noise died down, a single woman approached the place. She knelt down, and touched the sidewalk.

"I hope you're free now, Truman, whereever you are," she whispered to the spot before standing up again. Unspoken was other words of longing, maybe even love if there was a chance for it to blossom to that point. She glanced toward where the door appeared, watching for a moment, before turning around to walk away.

Real world, and a door opens

Sylvia slowly walked away, but then she thought she faintly heard a door opening, and sounds of conversations, glasses clinking, and the chatterings of various voices and languages in the distant.

Then a voice she wasn't sure she would ever hear with her own ears again.

Calling her.

"Lauren? Sylvia?" Her heart caught in her throat as she stopped in mid-step, and glanced back. And he was standing there. Looking right at her, framed in a doorway. And he was smiling that warm smile he always seemed to have around her. The background seemed to be...a bar? What the?

But she wasn't going to ask about that right now. Not after finding each other after all this time. She turned around and slowly starting walking toward him.

"Truman?"

He ran toward her, wrapping her in a embrace before kissing her passionately. Trying to make up for all those lost years in a moment.

There was kissing, and then finally breaking away to speak a little. Trying to catch up, her telling bits of her life, him telling her about the amazing place he went to after stepping through the fake sky. It seemed like it could last forever.

But of course, real life was never that easy. They had moved to a quiet alleyway, but all it took was for one person to sight them. Then another. And another. And another. And then the calling, yelling, and RUNNING began.

And there's no time, no time but to run.

Truman finally reached a door and started to turn it. He gestured for her to go ahead, but something repelled her back.

"No, you go, Truman. Get away before they get you. Be free," she urged him, and gave him a gentle push to urge him more.

Truman seemed torn, "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. You can escape, but I can't go with you yet. Something's stopping me."

He turned to the door. He was afraid of this. He had heard how only certain people could go, and it was based on the whim of the Landlord.

He turned back, and cupped her face, "I'm coming back for you. I promise. Got my solemn vow, and I don't give those away lightly, you know." His face briefly crinkled up with humor, but his pained eyes showed that the levity was forced right now.

And the crowds drew closer, and there was no time except for one last kiss, before he ran back into the bar.

She watched the door vanished behind him, just as a large crowd of people arrived, and began questioning and arguing amonst themselves.

She thought to herself, I know. I love you, too.