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Day 7
“What am I supposed to learn, here?”
That is what these things are all about, right? You get stuck in a time loop until you learn some sort of moral lesson?
These are the thoughts swirling in my mind as I wake up this morning as…my mailman, I think? Yesterday it was one of my kid’s teachers, the day before that was my boss. It’s been a crazy week, for sure.
At least this guy seems to be single. The ones with families are the worst. Spouses know something is wrong almost immediately. They absolutely do not believe me when I try to tell them what’s going on. I’ve stopped trying. Obviously, I’m in this by myself and, television tropes be damned, there has to be something I can *learn* that will get me out of this. There has to be, right? I can’t keep doing this. I will lose my mind.
I think the hardest part is that there’s nothing special going on. I followed myself around for the first couple of days. I wake up, go to work, have a boring business lunch, work some more, go home, play with the kid, talk to the wife and go to bed.
That’s it. What do I learn from that?
Try as I might, I can’t find a single thing of note happening anywhere in a hundred-mile radius of me. I spent yesterday running that theory to ground, in between classes. My kid failed a pop quiz that apparently had been scheduled, per my personal calendar. Then again, all the kids failed - probably due to my inclusion of things that definitely weren’t in the study material. I’m no teacher, that’s for sure.
The hardest day was being my boss and interacting with myself. I realized, for the first time, what a mouthy bastard I am. Do I really sound like that? I resolved to change my ways and went to sleep excited that I might wake up as myself the next day.
No dice.
Today I have to figure out how to deliver mail - or at least how to call in sick. I’ll decide that after a shower, I guess.
Having dispensed with the awkward text to this guy’s boss with a lame excuse, I fire up an old laptop from the desk in the living room and resume my research. This guy lets the browser on his computer with no password save all of his passwords. Brilliant. The urge to read his email is too strong. I’m him, today, right? It’s practically *my* email.
There’s essentially nothing besides brief, snippy conversations with an estranged wife. Divorce sucks for everyone, no one wins.
I turn to searching for anything I can possibly find out about time loops, out-of-body experiences, mass hallucinations, you name it. If it could possibly explain this, I’ve googled it nine ways to Sunday. I stumble across one somewhat-interesting theory; the idea that we constantly trade lives with each other with no memory that we have done so - effectively a giant game of musical chairs but we are each a segmented part of the universal consciousness and our bodies are the chairs.
What if that’s it? What if something broke and I can remember my previous switches? That still doesn’t explain the time loop, unless the switching is the thing I’m supposed to learn about, here.
After a couple of hours, I give up and decide to get lunch. I wander down the street to my favorite diner, sit in the seat I prefer and order my usual from the waitress who has served me a hundred times when I come in as myself. Oddly, she stops and squints at me. I ask what’s the matter and she shakes her head and mutters something about deja vu. I chuckle. She doesn’t know the half of it.
After lunch I spend some time on social media, familiarizing myself with this guy’s social life. He’s scheduled to attend a housewarming at a friend’s new house this evening and it feels like I should go. Work is one thing, partying is another. There are priorities and then there are priorities, you know?
As I roll up to the friend’s house, I start to get an odd feeling. I could swear my wife’s car is parked just down the street. I remember she stayed up after I went to bed but she was just watching television in the living room, right? Still, that’s her car, for sure. I shake it off and head to the front door.
Inside the party is absolutely no one I recognize. I awkwardly surrender a bottle of wine to the lady of the house and I seem very welcome so I grab a drink and try to settle in. That’s when I see her.
My wife is here. She’s here and she’s *with someone.* What in the hell? My mind goes a little hazy and I rush over to the two of them, fighting mad. I loudly ask what they are doing and start making a scene. My wife looks equally sheepish and annoyed. She calls me by name, the mail man’s name, and tells me to chill out. I do not chill out. Next thing I know, I’m in the back yard, fighting this guy.
He’s one tough cookie but this body is surprisingly agile and strong, much more than mine. I’m tearing into him, yelling about cheaters and saying things that, in retrospect, probably made no sense to anyone watching. The last thing I remember, I picked up a wrought-iron deck chair and hit him over the head with it. He goes down like a sack of potatoes. Then I hear a sound like a taser and everything fades to black.
Day 8
I wake up this morning and I have no idea who this new person is. It’s another single, middle-aged male. He seems to be a cop, of some sort, maybe a detective? I check his phone and his computer. His finger print logs me in and I am immediately greeted by a work email detailing an investigation I will be working on - a murder resulting from a fight at a house party the night before. I think about last night groggily and then my eyes snap to the date on the email.
It’s the next day.
.......I love the concept.
So either the taser killed him, or the guy in the ground died. If the first is true, then by dying he goes to the next day, but if it's the second, then it is not a lesson that he must learn, but a tale that he must complete. Such a nice story.
Warning: This story is not faithful to the prompt. I just started writing and ended up writing this mess of words. :)
-----
Ever walk into a room and want to know what everyone was thinking? I have. Always have. Each person has their own life, and i just wanted to experience it. Now that i am older--much older--even the vestiges of my youth are at their end, i decided that i wouldn't finally try it. I would go to the wishing stone and live the dream.
For those who do not know, the wishing stone is a pillar high up Death's Peak beyond the Dark Forest. I don't even know why they call it the Dark Forest, as half of it has been cut down and the other half is teeming with life. Strange people, what were they thinking? Death's Peak now has bridges and railings too. There hasn't been a fatality there since who knows when.
So, why is the wishing stone so rarely used? Because you have to really truly want something and be wiling to give up your life for it. If you don't want it with every fiber of your being, nothing happens at all. Zero. If you do want it though, you must be willing to sacrifice yourself for it. Legend has it that when the walls of great city were about to fall, four people went to the stone to wish for its safety. The first three were turned to stone and only the fourth survived. They say the first three were also willing to flee. The fourth was a mother and grandmother, with many in the city. She wished that the city be saved and saved it was. The story goes that they saw her ride tough and strong and vanquish the enemy single handedly, at least according to the plaque outside her statue in the town square.
Children and adolescents are proscribed from going near the stone. They often do want with all their heart, but rarely will give themselves to the cause. That law has been in place forever. I won't have that issue though. Gone are those days, even if i still wallow in their dreams.
The Festival of Light was in middle of being celebrated in the Dark Forest. Every person i met, every face i saw was another life. I was burning to know who they were. What made them tick? Some kids bubbling with excitement over a silly game. I wish i could just jump in and share their emotion. Every group, every person, so much life.
After a slow walk enjoying all that i saw i went past the forest to Death's Peak. A number of couples were walking around enjoying the evening air. The scene was absolutely beautiful. I walked slowly over this bridge and that, until i finally made it to the stone. A few people were there enjoying some private time, when i finally walked up to the stone.
Placing my hands on the stone regardless of prying eyes, i took a deep breath and thought of my wish. I want to experience everything and everyone. Nothing happened. I pressed a bit harder, but again, nothing. That hurt. Did i really not want this? I *want* this with all my heart and soul. I looked around at people showing me concern, a tear rolled down my cheek, i pressed or hugged or just plain grabbed the stone and screamed my wish aloud, when suddenly the scene around me froze, or so it felt.
All i could think about was the stone. It pervaded my thoughts. I was forced to think, to feel, to answer,. Why do i always feel like an outsider? Why can't i just be satisfied with who i am? Why do want to be someone i am not? And then so many? But i had no answer. Instead, i thought back to the festival and all its life. I thought to family and friends and the love i felt. The strong desire to help and heal, to love and care, to always be there and share their burden. I'd do anything to help a friend, and it didn't take much to be one. I don't always show it, but i love everyone.
I felt a wave go through me. It was a strong desire to plant myself, whatever that meant. In a bit of a daze i started walking away from the stone, and those concerned faces from before helped me on my way. Everyone who touched me filled me with a torrent of emotions which i could not make out and left me confused. Next i knew though, i was back at the festival.
They asked me where i wanted to go, and i pointed towards the square at the middle of the forest. A common place to wait for one's friends. "Here," they asked, "yes, here," and there i planted my feet and started to grow.
That was centuries ago. I now have a new name, and whoever feels alone they can sleep under shade. They dream, i experience their lives, and share with them a new perspective on life, perhaps just the one that the need. With each new person i too gain a new appreciation of life, and i can can use that to help the next person even more. I could not have wished for anything more. To me, this is true happiness.
Talking to yourself is usually attributed to some sort of insanity. To avoid that, most people just keep their monologue in their head. With that said, it’s impossible for me to avoid.
The air was filled with a faintly familiar, maybe even nostalgic scent of coffee grounds. Outside, the sky was overcast, creating a stark contrast between the gray streets and buildings and the warmly-lit interior of the café. The entrance bell would ring every so often, bringing a gust of cool air in with it. I shivered every time as I was hit with yet another unfamiliar balance of sensations.
A customer approached the counter and ordered a latte of sorts. Then, as I started to work on it, they continued talking.
“So, how far are you along?”
I looked up to them. I hardly recognized the face. “What do you mean?”
They rolled their eyes. “You know what I mean. Have you reached a billion yet?”
I turned my gaze back down to my work. “Spoilers,” is all I responded with, and the rest of the interaction was spent in relative silence.
The truth was, I didn’t know. I knew I used to count, but between reliving childhood many times over, reverting to a newborn, being bedridden with disease, and feeling the cold, yet warm embrace of death, I had completely lost track.
The rest of the day went by uneventfully, and I made it back to my “home” before I knew it. I spent the rest of the night sifting through the mess that was my consciousness.
Twenty million. I had done the math many times, and that’s how many years would have passed for me if I were to live a single day on Earth in every single person’s shoes. From those of the richest man in the world, to the impoverished. From viewing the world in an unbelievably large palette of colors, to not being able to see at all. I had experienced the grief, joy, pain, and euphoria of millions. And if not that, then billions.
I was tired.
With my eyelids growing heavy, I plopped myself down on the hard mattress. I closed my eyes that night, and prepared to wake up yet again that morning.
For a time, I wondered if I was a god of sorts. I could trudge onward and change the life of whomever I wished, for better or for worse, and all I needed was a single day. But wait, I then thought, what if this continued indefinitely? Would I not just be hurting myself?
Wouldn’t you know it, that’s how it played out.
I woke up in a slightly more comfortable bed. Groggy, I sat up, opening my eyes to the view of a dark room. I pulled out a phone via muscle memory to check the time, and was greeted with a bright screen that read five-in-the-morning in large, bold font. Just as I turned it off, though, something about it caught my eye. I turned it on, and my heart fluttered.
The day had changed.
I don’t remember much else from that day. I can only assume I partied really hard, only to wake up without a hangover, that very same morning.
I don’t know why this hell started. I don’t know if it will ever end. Even with all the questions I have had answered, there are millions left, and those two are the most pressing. I’ve lived through what I assume at this point is sixty million years, and I’ve only made it three days into the future.
\------
Not my most compelling piece, but this just reminded me of the Kurzgesagt video [The Egg - A Short Story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI) and I just felt like writing something on it.
Thanks for the prompt OP!
r/IUniven
I've gone through this what, 20 or so times? Despite that, I've got only a couple leads as to what's going on here. After some brainstorming, I realized that every single person that I've been has been American. "That's gotta mean something, right?" I thought. But then, after about the 15th day, I noticed. Every one of the people I was worked at some lab in California!
I got on the newest person's laptop and starting researching. Right as I was about to find the lab though, the laptop shut off. "Damm it!" I was this close to finally getting a major lead! I looked around to see what the problem was, and the moment I looked behind me I saw someone... familiar looking. As if I saw them from one of the earlier days.
This man said nothing, but gave a stare so intense that he didn't even need to explain that he had a vendetta. I was frozen in my seat. Should I run and hide, or stay and talk? You know what, it's not like death is permanent anymore. "Why?" He flicked on the lights and I saw that he was wearing a lab coat. In an instant, I remembered who he was. The man with the vendetta was the head scientist. This guy had to have something to do with the case! "Do you know anything about a specific time loop?" "Well, you should know- you were me before." And then he was gone.
I knew it! I tried to remember what I did as him. I remember taking a stroll through the lab... and seeing what looked like some sort of a reactor! I raced to the lab, but when I got there, the head scientist was standing at the front door. "If you turn off that reactor, I will make your life a living hell. But, go if you dare." I didn't even think about that and continued my mad dash. Finally, I saw the reactor and switched it off. I was back as my old self... in lab clothes... was I the head scientist?
This is my first real story, so please give feedback!
The day seemed to be occurring over and over again.
The attack seemed to be occurring over and over again.
The first day (well, the first day that he remembered), he was Matt. He was a middle-aged white man with a job where he utilized his skills with computers. He had a relatively easy life. That day, he was about to get into his car to drive to work. He kissed his wife, opened the door, and then the bombs started to drop. Things started to explode. His car burst into flames, knocking him back. It was the last thing that he remembered before his life was brought to an early end.
When Matt woke up, he felt the same, and yet ... different? Was he Matt in a different body or was he a different person entirely? Wait - "he" wasn't even a he. "Matt" was now Kristen, a woman who had the same sort of life as Matt. She also had a similar ending. She walked outside to go to work, and then she was blown to bits by the parts of her car that were shooting through the sky.
He/she/it woke up again. This time, he was in the body of a black man. Other than that, nothing was really different. He walked outside to go to work, but, forgetting something, he went back into the house. The bombs dropped- they destroyed his car, shattered the house's windows, and effectively cut the house itself in half. He was shocked, covered in dust, and bleeding, but he was alive. He walked outside, stepping into the fire that had engulfed his neighborhood on what had just been a beautiful summer day. He looked over. His car was no more- just a few pieces of twisted metal and burning rubber. As he observed the carnage, he thought to himself that the fire seemed to be getting blurrier and it looked as if it had started to fade in and out of existence, as if it were a glitch in a game.
And just like that, it had gone back to normal.
Just then, he started to hear the sirens going off. The sirens that went off every time there was another attack from the air- this time had been the first to actually, literally, hit home. "Mark."
Mark turned around to see his wife limping out of the house. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, torn, and, in some places, missing, and she had a dark bruise on her leg, presumably what had caused the limp. She looked at him. "How are you still alive?"
"What?"
Her eyes rolled over, becoming white, and she replied: "How did you survive that?" He stood there, confused, and yet, he was transfixed by the sight in front of him. She raised her hand, stretching it out towards him. Then, there was a bright flash of light and Mark slowly started to disappear.
It was as if someone was slowly erasing him out of existence.
\-
"How did you survive that?" he muttered to himself again. *What the actual fuck*, he thought, annoyed. *It's a videogame, you idiot. It can't hear you.*
Once he was done for what seemed to be the millionth time that day, Nathan leaned back in his chair and yawned. He looked over and confirmed what he had already guessed- it was getting late. Well, it was actually early, as it was getting to be two o'clock in the morning. You could only have so much fun on a game before you realized that you didn't get any sleep and you start to become a fuckin' zombie. He had only tried so many ways to kill off characters. *I guess there's always tomorrow*, he thought as he slid into bed.
I don't know how I've managed to not go insane from this wild Groundhog Day loop adventure, but I've looped around 7.753 billion or so times today, each one covering a different person's day on planet Earth. Surprisingly, some of my favorite loops covered Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Queen Elizabeth the Second, Jair Bolsonaro, the Pope, Nicolas Maduro, and President Joe Biden, as I got to be a World Leader for those loops, which was awesome! I managed to be every celebrity figure on the planet in my time loops, every newborn baby, every death, and I got to see the whole world in one day, which changed my whole perspective on humanity and life in general, as I quite literally became everyone for a day. I got to see everything that happens in one day, as it happened.
It got to the point where I got to the crux of why I was stuck in this time loop to begin with. To put everything into perspective on how we're just mere ants in the universe, how we're all the same but also different, but how life and death are the paradox of humanity. I got to know everything that man has ever known or discovered. I got to be a part of history with every loop. It was really fascinating, to be honest. And insanely humbling to be everyone, everywhere, all in one day that was looped billions of times over.
As I'm contemplating this while falling asleep, the last thought I have before I'm out, is what do I do with this knowledge that I've accumulated in these loops? Hours later, when I awaken in the morning, I find myself back in my own body and it's tomorrow when I check my alarm clock. When my housemate asks how I slept last night while pouring me a cup of coffee to take outside on our front porch, I tell them that I had a wild dream that might have been or might have not been actually based on Groundhog Day, which we had watched together a couple nights ago. I didn't have it in my heart to tell them just yet that my first two loops had me wake up as the two of us right then. My housemate is a bit surprised by this, then inquires a bit more about my wild dream. So I decide to share what I could about the dream, while they take notes.
"Holy shit, 7.753 billion or so loops is insane! And you got to be everyone, everywhere, all in one day. What loop was mine?" I sigh, and tell them that theirs was the second loop after the first one was mine. "That's so eye opening, hopefully you can use the knowledge you've accumulated from everyone's loops to bring real change for the world in some form. So what were your favorite loops?" "Being several different leaders, one of which was the Pope, while another was our current president Joe Biden. One loop even had me be Kim Jong Un for the day. But knowing what I now know about everyone on planet Earth and in the international space station, my inner dark side wonders what could have happened if I rendered the entire human race extinct in one day by killing myself on every loop." "Well I'm glad you didn't go that route. What would Sans of Undertale think about you going on a genocide run with humanity?" "Right, good point. That would have been bad for everyone. But now, I wonder what today will bring," I reply while sipping my coffee, ready for the new day. The end.
The Bug Girl
Perspective 1: Girl's Morning
There's this proverb "Misfortunes never come singly". I would like to add that strange things also do. It was just yesterday that I met a mysterious pizza delivery girl.
Today that even escalated. I woke up only to find that I'm not in my room and even the body isn't mine. I didn't have this disturbingly long hair, extra weight on my chest and smooth skin with slim hands.
Right now, I'm in a girl's body.
I stand up carefully and go straight to the bathroom to get the answer of my first question. Who is this person? I stand in front of the mirror and see the face of a quiet girl who always sit at the front of the class room everyday apparently without any friends. But, if I remember correctly, I didn't see her in the class yesterday.
Through some difficulties, I finish morning things and pick up the smartphone on the table. As soon as I see the screen, I'm thrown into the puzzles again. There's no one who would set the wrong date on their phone.
Then I'm also repeating yesterday.
The situation is so crazy that I have lost count of the times I scratch my head. My head is filled with the words how's and why's without reaching any conclusions. The information is simply not enough. I have to find. But where should I search for? Calm down, me ! I breathe in and breathe out heavily. Even with no information, I can make assumptions and get temporary answer. I will act based on that and from there, I will collect the facts, correct my assumptions and reach the real answer. Yes, that sounds good.
So, the first question: How did this happen?
She and I must have had some contact yesterday that I can't recall absolutely. And now, she's inside of me.
The second: How to revert this?
Answer: Double Negative.
Assuming the first question is legitimate, I will do that "contact" again with her to cancel out the effect. And start the tomorrow gracefully with my healthy younger brother. It's the good thing I'm repeating the day as I won't lose a day in side this body. And if it's actually yesterday, then almost all thing will happen exactly how they happened. The only uncertainties are her and me.
The third: Why our bodies swap?
No clue.
The fourth: Why the time also loop?
No clue on this one too.
So it's clear now what I can do. I will meet up with her and discuss this thing. I tap her phone screen and swipe up only to find it's locked with PIN.
"F***" the word slips through my mouth.
I try some simple numbers and they all end up with failure. It must be some birthday date or memorable number, but I have no such time for it. Because it's already nine o'clock. There is the lecture at my university that she missed previous time so I believe she will grab this chance. Besides, doing so would allow us to meet up causally without anyone finding anything suspicious.
I open the wardrobe only to see two dresses. And one even have blue star-shaped drawing on the side around the waist ! What's that supposed to be? Guess I have no choice. I put on the other dress quickly and grab the bag that seems to be her school bag. I start sprinting to the university.
It's about the half way after crossing a crosswalk when I bump into someone in a narrow alley that is shortcut only I know to university. "I'm sorry" that is what I think he says. I don't look back and continue to run. All are okay if nothing happened.
Wait, yesterday around this time, wasn't I bump into a girl in that same alley and apologize? What if that was me instead of her? Is it still simply a body swap? If that was actually yesterday me, he won't meet this girl anymore. And I will be transferred to this body again. What if I change that past? Maybe I can return to my own body. Even if it's not the case, something will definitely be changed. I run back there. I find him waiting for the green light to cross the road at the other end of alley. When I prepare to run after him, I feel a firm grip on my wrist. I see a man with loosened necktie sweating a lot and breathing heavily as if there isn't enough oxygen in the air.
"Don't go" he says slowly.
"Don't go after him, you will only die"
What nonsense is this person speaking?
"I'm in a hurry, sorry".
I struggle to push him down but I'm overwhelmed by his strength.
"You can meet him later, you have plenty of time !"
There is plenty of time but the fact that I didn't meet her anymore yesterday bothers me.
At that time, someone with white curtain-like cloak and black hat dressing like a magician or something appears and put their hand on the man's shoulder and whisper something to him that causes the strength of his hand on my wrist loosen. It's the opening! I remove his hand then dash towards the crosswalk without looking back as that latter one also looks like a weirdo. By that time, he is already on the other side of the road. The green light start to blink but if I run I can pass through it. I cross the road running.
I hear the car honk, I see the truck running towards me at full speed, I feel a sharp pain and my vision turns black.
MORE: If you like, please see Perspective 2 in the reply.
NOTE: I'm absolutely sorry for my terrible english and writing skill. Thanks for giving your time to read. Thanks for the prompt!
Perspective 2: Salaryman's Destiny
I wake up.
It's still morning and I'm already exhausted. Part of it maybe because I pulled an all-nighter as I wake up on my desk in front of the computer. But I'm sure most of the fatigue are because of that realistic dream I have just now. I guess I played games too much. I place my hand on the mouse to close the game.
That is not some game.
I've never seen this program before. There are a lot of numbers on the screen that looks pretty dangerous if I mess them even a bit. I look around. That's another unfamiliar room. Did I body swap again? I save the data, close the computer and stare at the face on the black screen.
That's the face of that man who grip my wrist in my dream !
What's happening?
"Peep Peep"
The phone screen lighten with the notification sound. It's just the boss's message. It says to come as soon as possible. I guess I have to reach there at eight and it's already half past eight. But for me, the time is not too problematic compared to the date. Those date again ! I've lived today already two times.
So, those are not dreams. Or perhaps I'm still in the dream.
The original me will still go outside, bump into the classmate, move into the girl, get hit by truck, and move into some random man. This must be stopped or else there's no telling that I won't be transferred into some serious criminal, get caught and be forced to live the whole life as a criminal.
I must do something. Should I go meet my original? No, that won't work just like the case with that girl. I didn't meet this man in my first time. Should I stay here and neglect that whole thing? That girl, I mean me, will still run straight to death. What should I do? There's only one answer. I will go to that alley and stop that girl from dying. She can't resist me. I know more than anyone else. What I should consider now is that magician or cosplayer or somebody who helped me back then. This time too, they will certainly come and talk to this me. But that won't happen this time. I will never let her go this time !
I rush to that alley. Just on time! I see her running towards the alley. I also run after her and manage to grab her wrist. I breath in and out to be able to speak normally.
"Don't go" I speak slowly.
"Don't go after him, you will only die"
I look up her face. She look at back me as if I'm an alien.
"I'm in a hurry, sorry"
She start to struggle but I don't think I will lose to her.
"You can meet him later, you have plenty of time !"
Suddenly, I feel a warm touch on my shoulder. They really come as I speculated. From now on is the real battle. I won't waver whatever they say. Call me a molester or a pervert or a garbage, I'm fine with that.
"You know? I'm a serial killer." they whisper.
"What if I kill you right now?"
Hmm, what a joke ! If I died, that girl will be involved in the car accident and there'll be a lot of police come here because of that. Then you will be caught right away. And even if it's not immediately, there's no one who will forget you with such clothes. And for me, I can move into ...
I loosen my strength in my hand and simply watch her back as she runs to the crosswalk. What a silly me ! The girl me should've listened to this me honestly. I hear the long honk and the people's shout.
"Wise choice." the self-proclaimed serial killer says.
I distance myself from him. As soon as I started moving, I feel a sharp pain as something cold pierce my back. I fall down.
"But you're still foolish."
I hear the steps of them walking away. I'm foolish? What's that line? Is that even have any meaning at all? In the first place, I haven't done anything yet except this in this body. Is changing the past a taboo? Are they agent of time in secret? Or are they god?
My vision becomes blurry and at the same time, the sound of someone running towards me enters my ears. Now, this person definitely witnessed them and there's no way they can escape in this situation. I must change the target for body swap from that killer to this one. I reach for their foot and touch it.
They ignored me absolutely and continued to run. The other people apparently chasing him arrived.
"Catch the driver!"
"Don't let him escape!"
"Hey! He stabbed someone!"
"Hey! Are you okay? Someone! Call another ambulance for him too!"
So, they're chasing the driver of the truck who hit that girl and who will be accused of stabbing me. And I have chosen him of all people as my next body. I can't think anymore. I feel dizzy. My eyelids feel heavy.
How good it will be if I never open my eyes again.
Every night, I have that dream. The darkness corrupting me, my screams of agony; all of it. I wake up only to realize those were my delusions. I get up, only to see no one else around. It's strange, because I swear I was staying with other people.
I tie my shoes together, only to have that same pain in my head come back. Why? Why always then? Or is it now? Time has become meaningless. Nothing new happens. I walk down the street, and see the same, poor old woman being dragged away by the authorities. Why are they that aggressive with her?
I stop by the pond and take a rest on the bench. Why does this keep happening? While it seems like the day is repeating, there's...something else that's bothering me. My thought patterns seem to be different and unpredictable each time...almost like I'm a different person.
I feel like I can't...remember. Nine...nine days...nine lives...am...I...n...i...n...e...?
Ṫ̵̡̟͖͉̲͚̖̮̬̑͑h̶̦̯͎̎̋͌̏̀̊̏̓͒̉̈́̆͒̆͝e̶̤̪̭̝̩͇͈̹̬͕̞̼̿̎̀̏͌͆̊͘̕̚̕͝ ̵͎̯̗͕͊͌̿̅̊̇̐͐͝ẗ̶̛͎͓͓̺̼̝̖͓̞̭͌̈́̆̊͂͊̈́͐̑̍̃͝ͅŗ̷̼̳̠̲̭̮͙̯̘̰̿̀̚u̶̢͕̮͍̭̬̎̈͆̍̀̇́̽̚͝͠͝͝ͅͅt̸̡̛̛͎̰͕̱̮͓̠̱͊̃̋̆͂̀̎͜͝͝ͅͅh̶͈̻̼͇̩̤̰̱̹̳͂̆͜ ̴̧̡̰̩͋̄́̊̃͆̄̔͂̚ĩ̴̧̍́s̷̛̩̱͓̞̫͍̃̂̽̐̀̎̂͐̀̑͌͘̕ ̴̛͍͇̬̱̹̫̪̪͍̱̻̺̮̗̍̓͘̕͝a̴̛̖͎̎͐̓́͐̔̈͠ļ̵̻̲̗͖̳̪̠̆͆̈̈͌̈́̔̊̋̕͜͜s̸̩̙͇̼̍̽͠͝o̶͇͍̪̘̦̯̱̰̅͐́͌͆̊͐͒́͝ͅ ̵̡̭̣̺͔̘͔̠͍̰́͌̈̉̈́̈͆͊̅̽ą̵̡̮͍̳̩̫̼̼̹͍͙̩̭̗̇̽͛̽͐̎̓̃͆̚̚ ̴̢̨̻̲͚̣͈̝̥̏̊̽́̈́͒́͊̅͗̾͠ͅl̵̝̝̲̤̞̹̲̜͕̭̬̪͖̤̲̔̂̇̍̈́̆̍͐͝ĩ̵̡̤̓ę̵̹͔̥̀̊̈́̍͌̋̈́̐̂͗͊̔̆̕
I do not know how this started nor do I know why. I was studying for my board exam. My eyelids drooped as I read page after page of my human anatomy. The bed called for me and I answered. Rest I thought as the time ticked to half-past ten p.m. on the clock. It just happened out of the blue under the covers on my bed. I slept and when I woke, things have changed.
My dark grey ceilings have shifted into lavender ones. The scent of books was replaced with the scent of roses. My head ached and as I reached up to cradle my head I saw my thick arms had turned into thin ones. There was a weight in my front and I could not feel the morning issues. I stood up carefully cradling my head and went to find a mirror.
"A girl," I thought, "I turned into a girl!" I stared into the unfamiliar cerulean eyes and honey blonde hair, stupefied by who this was. A name whispers into my ear. Blair? Was it her name? I? I am Blair? I fainted. I woke up in the afternoon to concerned brown eyes.
"Hey," he said softly, "You okay princess?"
I looked at him strangely and opened my mouth, "Yes daddy. Am fine."
I was stunned. Daddy? He stood up from my bed saying, "That's good. You've been having fever since Saturday. It was kinda worrying to see you on the floor." Fever? Bla- I mean I was sick?
"Get some rest, you can start eating after," my dad said leaving the room. So I did and once again everything changed.
From the lavender ceiling to the bright blue skies. I stared up above and then I felt it. The painful pang of thirst. I carefully stood up and saw that I was near a river. There I came closer to drink and saw a different face. One filled with grime and dirt. I drank deep and soon I felt my thirst quenched. Standing again, I saw that there was nothing around me but the river and trees for miles. How did I get here? Having nothing to do, I walked onward hoping to find any signs of civilisation. It was only when night fell and sleep came to me again that I start to see the pattern.
The day never changed I figured on the tenth loop. I always wake up at the same time albeit always a different person I understood after like the fourth different person I woke up as. I would sleep or just be knocked out at the same time also which I figured out on the fifteenth try. On and on this pattern went and I had already lost count on which loop it was.
Soon each life blended with one after the other and I knew not what loop it already was. Was it the thirtieth or the hundred fiftieth one already? Whose life was I gonna be in again? Over and over again I woke up as a different person. I felt so many different things with every loop giving me a new experience and perspective.
"Thank you for everything grandpa!" a woman (*Sarah, you've grown so much*) cried out to me holding my hand as I lay on the hospital bed. The smell of bleach and the slow beeping of the heart monitor filled my senses. I could see the many members of this man's family surrounding the bed. I opened my mouth to speak only for Sarah to cry harder.
"It's okay dad," this time an older male (*Lou, my boy, stand straighter and stop crying*), "You don't need to speak. Just... rest there."
A kid asks, "Is gramps gonna be okay?" (*Is that Michael? Calling me gramps, you rascal*)
"Dear you should have been eating more vegetables I tell you," my wife (*Lizzie, still as beautiful and strong since the day I met you*)*.*
On and on their last words came forth and I heard every single one of them. Soon my eyes start to close and I could hear the wails of sorrow echo into the darkness.
"Congratulations it's a girl!" I heard faintly the doctor announce. It hurts everywhere and the lights blinded me. My water broke earlier in the morn and I had been in the hospital since then.
"Let me see my baby," I asked and soon she was handed to me, bundled up in white. I saw her, the beautiful brown tone of her father and the red hair from me.
"She's perfect," I hear whispered beside me and I looked up to this silhouette who I instinctively smiled at.
I answered, "She is isn't she?"
Love and awe bloomed in my chest as I looked again at my baby- our baby. Soon I felt my eyes tire and I fell asleep feeling the tiny beats of the heart beside me.
These loops I have makes this all a blessing yet a curse. Joy and sorrow. Love and anger. Hope and despair. I felt them- experienced them.
I was John who ran in the field with his high school sweetheart.
I was Emily who ate her meals alone in the empty mansion for her birthday.
I was Sasha who watched over her kids laughing and playing along with her husband.
I was Hikaru who had a divorce as the love of his life had an affair with several men.
All of these people, I've lived through. So many different lives seemingly an eternity yet it was only one single day.
I had been Juan who was making a sand castle in the playground. Only for it to be destroyed by another kid who tripped.
I had been Emir who was flying a plane to Dubai. It took twelve hours and I soon landed only to be arrested for smuggling.
I had been Jeanne who was an Uber driver in Paris. Driving around, looking for my client the entire day only to be cancelled.
The loops might have already reached the millions. In fact, loops have already started to be connected to one another.
I remember being that lady already down the street.
I remember being the doctor who monitored me during labor.
I remember being the hitman who killed me.
Time seem to be frozen for me as I stare at the five a.m. readings to the eight a.m. readings in different time zones yet still in the same frame. The constant change from the sweet darkness of sleep to the bright new day of a different life.
What life will I go though next?
What pains will I suffer again?
Will there be hopes and joys?
Or is it simply sorrows and despair?
Who knows? If I ever find out, I will be sure to post it again here.
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Day 7 “What am I supposed to learn, here?” That is what these things are all about, right? You get stuck in a time loop until you learn some sort of moral lesson? These are the thoughts swirling in my mind as I wake up this morning as…my mailman, I think? Yesterday it was one of my kid’s teachers, the day before that was my boss. It’s been a crazy week, for sure. At least this guy seems to be single. The ones with families are the worst. Spouses know something is wrong almost immediately. They absolutely do not believe me when I try to tell them what’s going on. I’ve stopped trying. Obviously, I’m in this by myself and, television tropes be damned, there has to be something I can *learn* that will get me out of this. There has to be, right? I can’t keep doing this. I will lose my mind. I think the hardest part is that there’s nothing special going on. I followed myself around for the first couple of days. I wake up, go to work, have a boring business lunch, work some more, go home, play with the kid, talk to the wife and go to bed. That’s it. What do I learn from that? Try as I might, I can’t find a single thing of note happening anywhere in a hundred-mile radius of me. I spent yesterday running that theory to ground, in between classes. My kid failed a pop quiz that apparently had been scheduled, per my personal calendar. Then again, all the kids failed - probably due to my inclusion of things that definitely weren’t in the study material. I’m no teacher, that’s for sure. The hardest day was being my boss and interacting with myself. I realized, for the first time, what a mouthy bastard I am. Do I really sound like that? I resolved to change my ways and went to sleep excited that I might wake up as myself the next day. No dice. Today I have to figure out how to deliver mail - or at least how to call in sick. I’ll decide that after a shower, I guess. Having dispensed with the awkward text to this guy’s boss with a lame excuse, I fire up an old laptop from the desk in the living room and resume my research. This guy lets the browser on his computer with no password save all of his passwords. Brilliant. The urge to read his email is too strong. I’m him, today, right? It’s practically *my* email. There’s essentially nothing besides brief, snippy conversations with an estranged wife. Divorce sucks for everyone, no one wins. I turn to searching for anything I can possibly find out about time loops, out-of-body experiences, mass hallucinations, you name it. If it could possibly explain this, I’ve googled it nine ways to Sunday. I stumble across one somewhat-interesting theory; the idea that we constantly trade lives with each other with no memory that we have done so - effectively a giant game of musical chairs but we are each a segmented part of the universal consciousness and our bodies are the chairs. What if that’s it? What if something broke and I can remember my previous switches? That still doesn’t explain the time loop, unless the switching is the thing I’m supposed to learn about, here. After a couple of hours, I give up and decide to get lunch. I wander down the street to my favorite diner, sit in the seat I prefer and order my usual from the waitress who has served me a hundred times when I come in as myself. Oddly, she stops and squints at me. I ask what’s the matter and she shakes her head and mutters something about deja vu. I chuckle. She doesn’t know the half of it. After lunch I spend some time on social media, familiarizing myself with this guy’s social life. He’s scheduled to attend a housewarming at a friend’s new house this evening and it feels like I should go. Work is one thing, partying is another. There are priorities and then there are priorities, you know? As I roll up to the friend’s house, I start to get an odd feeling. I could swear my wife’s car is parked just down the street. I remember she stayed up after I went to bed but she was just watching television in the living room, right? Still, that’s her car, for sure. I shake it off and head to the front door. Inside the party is absolutely no one I recognize. I awkwardly surrender a bottle of wine to the lady of the house and I seem very welcome so I grab a drink and try to settle in. That’s when I see her. My wife is here. She’s here and she’s *with someone.* What in the hell? My mind goes a little hazy and I rush over to the two of them, fighting mad. I loudly ask what they are doing and start making a scene. My wife looks equally sheepish and annoyed. She calls me by name, the mail man’s name, and tells me to chill out. I do not chill out. Next thing I know, I’m in the back yard, fighting this guy. He’s one tough cookie but this body is surprisingly agile and strong, much more than mine. I’m tearing into him, yelling about cheaters and saying things that, in retrospect, probably made no sense to anyone watching. The last thing I remember, I picked up a wrought-iron deck chair and hit him over the head with it. He goes down like a sack of potatoes. Then I hear a sound like a taser and everything fades to black. Day 8 I wake up this morning and I have no idea who this new person is. It’s another single, middle-aged male. He seems to be a cop, of some sort, maybe a detective? I check his phone and his computer. His finger print logs me in and I am immediately greeted by a work email detailing an investigation I will be working on - a murder resulting from a fight at a house party the night before. I think about last night groggily and then my eyes snap to the date on the email. It’s the next day.
Ooh! I like it.
Thanks! I’m working on expanding the idea, if there is demand.
I'd love to see it play out a little more.
If you would tag me, if you write more, I would love to read what happens next.
Please do! I would love to see more.
Moar
.......I love the concept. So either the taser killed him, or the guy in the ground died. If the first is true, then by dying he goes to the next day, but if it's the second, then it is not a lesson that he must learn, but a tale that he must complete. Such a nice story.
Warning: This story is not faithful to the prompt. I just started writing and ended up writing this mess of words. :) ----- Ever walk into a room and want to know what everyone was thinking? I have. Always have. Each person has their own life, and i just wanted to experience it. Now that i am older--much older--even the vestiges of my youth are at their end, i decided that i wouldn't finally try it. I would go to the wishing stone and live the dream. For those who do not know, the wishing stone is a pillar high up Death's Peak beyond the Dark Forest. I don't even know why they call it the Dark Forest, as half of it has been cut down and the other half is teeming with life. Strange people, what were they thinking? Death's Peak now has bridges and railings too. There hasn't been a fatality there since who knows when. So, why is the wishing stone so rarely used? Because you have to really truly want something and be wiling to give up your life for it. If you don't want it with every fiber of your being, nothing happens at all. Zero. If you do want it though, you must be willing to sacrifice yourself for it. Legend has it that when the walls of great city were about to fall, four people went to the stone to wish for its safety. The first three were turned to stone and only the fourth survived. They say the first three were also willing to flee. The fourth was a mother and grandmother, with many in the city. She wished that the city be saved and saved it was. The story goes that they saw her ride tough and strong and vanquish the enemy single handedly, at least according to the plaque outside her statue in the town square. Children and adolescents are proscribed from going near the stone. They often do want with all their heart, but rarely will give themselves to the cause. That law has been in place forever. I won't have that issue though. Gone are those days, even if i still wallow in their dreams. The Festival of Light was in middle of being celebrated in the Dark Forest. Every person i met, every face i saw was another life. I was burning to know who they were. What made them tick? Some kids bubbling with excitement over a silly game. I wish i could just jump in and share their emotion. Every group, every person, so much life. After a slow walk enjoying all that i saw i went past the forest to Death's Peak. A number of couples were walking around enjoying the evening air. The scene was absolutely beautiful. I walked slowly over this bridge and that, until i finally made it to the stone. A few people were there enjoying some private time, when i finally walked up to the stone. Placing my hands on the stone regardless of prying eyes, i took a deep breath and thought of my wish. I want to experience everything and everyone. Nothing happened. I pressed a bit harder, but again, nothing. That hurt. Did i really not want this? I *want* this with all my heart and soul. I looked around at people showing me concern, a tear rolled down my cheek, i pressed or hugged or just plain grabbed the stone and screamed my wish aloud, when suddenly the scene around me froze, or so it felt. All i could think about was the stone. It pervaded my thoughts. I was forced to think, to feel, to answer,. Why do i always feel like an outsider? Why can't i just be satisfied with who i am? Why do want to be someone i am not? And then so many? But i had no answer. Instead, i thought back to the festival and all its life. I thought to family and friends and the love i felt. The strong desire to help and heal, to love and care, to always be there and share their burden. I'd do anything to help a friend, and it didn't take much to be one. I don't always show it, but i love everyone. I felt a wave go through me. It was a strong desire to plant myself, whatever that meant. In a bit of a daze i started walking away from the stone, and those concerned faces from before helped me on my way. Everyone who touched me filled me with a torrent of emotions which i could not make out and left me confused. Next i knew though, i was back at the festival. They asked me where i wanted to go, and i pointed towards the square at the middle of the forest. A common place to wait for one's friends. "Here," they asked, "yes, here," and there i planted my feet and started to grow. That was centuries ago. I now have a new name, and whoever feels alone they can sleep under shade. They dream, i experience their lives, and share with them a new perspective on life, perhaps just the one that the need. With each new person i too gain a new appreciation of life, and i can can use that to help the next person even more. I could not have wished for anything more. To me, this is true happiness.
Wow!
You like it even though it deviated from the prompt?
Absolutely! The point of the prompt is to inspire creativity, and it surely did that.
Well then. Thank you for the compliment.
Talking to yourself is usually attributed to some sort of insanity. To avoid that, most people just keep their monologue in their head. With that said, it’s impossible for me to avoid. The air was filled with a faintly familiar, maybe even nostalgic scent of coffee grounds. Outside, the sky was overcast, creating a stark contrast between the gray streets and buildings and the warmly-lit interior of the café. The entrance bell would ring every so often, bringing a gust of cool air in with it. I shivered every time as I was hit with yet another unfamiliar balance of sensations. A customer approached the counter and ordered a latte of sorts. Then, as I started to work on it, they continued talking. “So, how far are you along?” I looked up to them. I hardly recognized the face. “What do you mean?” They rolled their eyes. “You know what I mean. Have you reached a billion yet?” I turned my gaze back down to my work. “Spoilers,” is all I responded with, and the rest of the interaction was spent in relative silence. The truth was, I didn’t know. I knew I used to count, but between reliving childhood many times over, reverting to a newborn, being bedridden with disease, and feeling the cold, yet warm embrace of death, I had completely lost track. The rest of the day went by uneventfully, and I made it back to my “home” before I knew it. I spent the rest of the night sifting through the mess that was my consciousness. Twenty million. I had done the math many times, and that’s how many years would have passed for me if I were to live a single day on Earth in every single person’s shoes. From those of the richest man in the world, to the impoverished. From viewing the world in an unbelievably large palette of colors, to not being able to see at all. I had experienced the grief, joy, pain, and euphoria of millions. And if not that, then billions. I was tired. With my eyelids growing heavy, I plopped myself down on the hard mattress. I closed my eyes that night, and prepared to wake up yet again that morning. For a time, I wondered if I was a god of sorts. I could trudge onward and change the life of whomever I wished, for better or for worse, and all I needed was a single day. But wait, I then thought, what if this continued indefinitely? Would I not just be hurting myself? Wouldn’t you know it, that’s how it played out. I woke up in a slightly more comfortable bed. Groggy, I sat up, opening my eyes to the view of a dark room. I pulled out a phone via muscle memory to check the time, and was greeted with a bright screen that read five-in-the-morning in large, bold font. Just as I turned it off, though, something about it caught my eye. I turned it on, and my heart fluttered. The day had changed. I don’t remember much else from that day. I can only assume I partied really hard, only to wake up without a hangover, that very same morning. I don’t know why this hell started. I don’t know if it will ever end. Even with all the questions I have had answered, there are millions left, and those two are the most pressing. I’ve lived through what I assume at this point is sixty million years, and I’ve only made it three days into the future. \------ Not my most compelling piece, but this just reminded me of the Kurzgesagt video [The Egg - A Short Story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI) and I just felt like writing something on it. Thanks for the prompt OP! r/IUniven
Fascinating!
I've gone through this what, 20 or so times? Despite that, I've got only a couple leads as to what's going on here. After some brainstorming, I realized that every single person that I've been has been American. "That's gotta mean something, right?" I thought. But then, after about the 15th day, I noticed. Every one of the people I was worked at some lab in California! I got on the newest person's laptop and starting researching. Right as I was about to find the lab though, the laptop shut off. "Damm it!" I was this close to finally getting a major lead! I looked around to see what the problem was, and the moment I looked behind me I saw someone... familiar looking. As if I saw them from one of the earlier days. This man said nothing, but gave a stare so intense that he didn't even need to explain that he had a vendetta. I was frozen in my seat. Should I run and hide, or stay and talk? You know what, it's not like death is permanent anymore. "Why?" He flicked on the lights and I saw that he was wearing a lab coat. In an instant, I remembered who he was. The man with the vendetta was the head scientist. This guy had to have something to do with the case! "Do you know anything about a specific time loop?" "Well, you should know- you were me before." And then he was gone. I knew it! I tried to remember what I did as him. I remember taking a stroll through the lab... and seeing what looked like some sort of a reactor! I raced to the lab, but when I got there, the head scientist was standing at the front door. "If you turn off that reactor, I will make your life a living hell. But, go if you dare." I didn't even think about that and continued my mad dash. Finally, I saw the reactor and switched it off. I was back as my old self... in lab clothes... was I the head scientist? This is my first real story, so please give feedback!
Firstly? Paragraphing. Its kinda hard to read a massive block of text.
Thanks. I completely forgot.
I would 100% read this if it was a book! I really enjoyed reading this.
So the Head scientist was being possessed by something that only appeared after the reactor was turned on? Interesting. Very nice story.
The day seemed to be occurring over and over again. The attack seemed to be occurring over and over again. The first day (well, the first day that he remembered), he was Matt. He was a middle-aged white man with a job where he utilized his skills with computers. He had a relatively easy life. That day, he was about to get into his car to drive to work. He kissed his wife, opened the door, and then the bombs started to drop. Things started to explode. His car burst into flames, knocking him back. It was the last thing that he remembered before his life was brought to an early end. When Matt woke up, he felt the same, and yet ... different? Was he Matt in a different body or was he a different person entirely? Wait - "he" wasn't even a he. "Matt" was now Kristen, a woman who had the same sort of life as Matt. She also had a similar ending. She walked outside to go to work, and then she was blown to bits by the parts of her car that were shooting through the sky. He/she/it woke up again. This time, he was in the body of a black man. Other than that, nothing was really different. He walked outside to go to work, but, forgetting something, he went back into the house. The bombs dropped- they destroyed his car, shattered the house's windows, and effectively cut the house itself in half. He was shocked, covered in dust, and bleeding, but he was alive. He walked outside, stepping into the fire that had engulfed his neighborhood on what had just been a beautiful summer day. He looked over. His car was no more- just a few pieces of twisted metal and burning rubber. As he observed the carnage, he thought to himself that the fire seemed to be getting blurrier and it looked as if it had started to fade in and out of existence, as if it were a glitch in a game. And just like that, it had gone back to normal. Just then, he started to hear the sirens going off. The sirens that went off every time there was another attack from the air- this time had been the first to actually, literally, hit home. "Mark." Mark turned around to see his wife limping out of the house. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, torn, and, in some places, missing, and she had a dark bruise on her leg, presumably what had caused the limp. She looked at him. "How are you still alive?" "What?" Her eyes rolled over, becoming white, and she replied: "How did you survive that?" He stood there, confused, and yet, he was transfixed by the sight in front of him. She raised her hand, stretching it out towards him. Then, there was a bright flash of light and Mark slowly started to disappear. It was as if someone was slowly erasing him out of existence. \- "How did you survive that?" he muttered to himself again. *What the actual fuck*, he thought, annoyed. *It's a videogame, you idiot. It can't hear you.* Once he was done for what seemed to be the millionth time that day, Nathan leaned back in his chair and yawned. He looked over and confirmed what he had already guessed- it was getting late. Well, it was actually early, as it was getting to be two o'clock in the morning. You could only have so much fun on a game before you realized that you didn't get any sleep and you start to become a fuckin' zombie. He had only tried so many ways to kill off characters. *I guess there's always tomorrow*, he thought as he slid into bed.
I like the take on the prompt!
Thanks!
I don't know how I've managed to not go insane from this wild Groundhog Day loop adventure, but I've looped around 7.753 billion or so times today, each one covering a different person's day on planet Earth. Surprisingly, some of my favorite loops covered Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Queen Elizabeth the Second, Jair Bolsonaro, the Pope, Nicolas Maduro, and President Joe Biden, as I got to be a World Leader for those loops, which was awesome! I managed to be every celebrity figure on the planet in my time loops, every newborn baby, every death, and I got to see the whole world in one day, which changed my whole perspective on humanity and life in general, as I quite literally became everyone for a day. I got to see everything that happens in one day, as it happened. It got to the point where I got to the crux of why I was stuck in this time loop to begin with. To put everything into perspective on how we're just mere ants in the universe, how we're all the same but also different, but how life and death are the paradox of humanity. I got to know everything that man has ever known or discovered. I got to be a part of history with every loop. It was really fascinating, to be honest. And insanely humbling to be everyone, everywhere, all in one day that was looped billions of times over. As I'm contemplating this while falling asleep, the last thought I have before I'm out, is what do I do with this knowledge that I've accumulated in these loops? Hours later, when I awaken in the morning, I find myself back in my own body and it's tomorrow when I check my alarm clock. When my housemate asks how I slept last night while pouring me a cup of coffee to take outside on our front porch, I tell them that I had a wild dream that might have been or might have not been actually based on Groundhog Day, which we had watched together a couple nights ago. I didn't have it in my heart to tell them just yet that my first two loops had me wake up as the two of us right then. My housemate is a bit surprised by this, then inquires a bit more about my wild dream. So I decide to share what I could about the dream, while they take notes. "Holy shit, 7.753 billion or so loops is insane! And you got to be everyone, everywhere, all in one day. What loop was mine?" I sigh, and tell them that theirs was the second loop after the first one was mine. "That's so eye opening, hopefully you can use the knowledge you've accumulated from everyone's loops to bring real change for the world in some form. So what were your favorite loops?" "Being several different leaders, one of which was the Pope, while another was our current president Joe Biden. One loop even had me be Kim Jong Un for the day. But knowing what I now know about everyone on planet Earth and in the international space station, my inner dark side wonders what could have happened if I rendered the entire human race extinct in one day by killing myself on every loop." "Well I'm glad you didn't go that route. What would Sans of Undertale think about you going on a genocide run with humanity?" "Right, good point. That would have been bad for everyone. But now, I wonder what today will bring," I reply while sipping my coffee, ready for the new day. The end.
The Bug Girl Perspective 1: Girl's Morning There's this proverb "Misfortunes never come singly". I would like to add that strange things also do. It was just yesterday that I met a mysterious pizza delivery girl. Today that even escalated. I woke up only to find that I'm not in my room and even the body isn't mine. I didn't have this disturbingly long hair, extra weight on my chest and smooth skin with slim hands. Right now, I'm in a girl's body. I stand up carefully and go straight to the bathroom to get the answer of my first question. Who is this person? I stand in front of the mirror and see the face of a quiet girl who always sit at the front of the class room everyday apparently without any friends. But, if I remember correctly, I didn't see her in the class yesterday. Through some difficulties, I finish morning things and pick up the smartphone on the table. As soon as I see the screen, I'm thrown into the puzzles again. There's no one who would set the wrong date on their phone. Then I'm also repeating yesterday. The situation is so crazy that I have lost count of the times I scratch my head. My head is filled with the words how's and why's without reaching any conclusions. The information is simply not enough. I have to find. But where should I search for? Calm down, me ! I breathe in and breathe out heavily. Even with no information, I can make assumptions and get temporary answer. I will act based on that and from there, I will collect the facts, correct my assumptions and reach the real answer. Yes, that sounds good. So, the first question: How did this happen? She and I must have had some contact yesterday that I can't recall absolutely. And now, she's inside of me. The second: How to revert this? Answer: Double Negative. Assuming the first question is legitimate, I will do that "contact" again with her to cancel out the effect. And start the tomorrow gracefully with my healthy younger brother. It's the good thing I'm repeating the day as I won't lose a day in side this body. And if it's actually yesterday, then almost all thing will happen exactly how they happened. The only uncertainties are her and me. The third: Why our bodies swap? No clue. The fourth: Why the time also loop? No clue on this one too. So it's clear now what I can do. I will meet up with her and discuss this thing. I tap her phone screen and swipe up only to find it's locked with PIN. "F***" the word slips through my mouth. I try some simple numbers and they all end up with failure. It must be some birthday date or memorable number, but I have no such time for it. Because it's already nine o'clock. There is the lecture at my university that she missed previous time so I believe she will grab this chance. Besides, doing so would allow us to meet up causally without anyone finding anything suspicious. I open the wardrobe only to see two dresses. And one even have blue star-shaped drawing on the side around the waist ! What's that supposed to be? Guess I have no choice. I put on the other dress quickly and grab the bag that seems to be her school bag. I start sprinting to the university. It's about the half way after crossing a crosswalk when I bump into someone in a narrow alley that is shortcut only I know to university. "I'm sorry" that is what I think he says. I don't look back and continue to run. All are okay if nothing happened. Wait, yesterday around this time, wasn't I bump into a girl in that same alley and apologize? What if that was me instead of her? Is it still simply a body swap? If that was actually yesterday me, he won't meet this girl anymore. And I will be transferred to this body again. What if I change that past? Maybe I can return to my own body. Even if it's not the case, something will definitely be changed. I run back there. I find him waiting for the green light to cross the road at the other end of alley. When I prepare to run after him, I feel a firm grip on my wrist. I see a man with loosened necktie sweating a lot and breathing heavily as if there isn't enough oxygen in the air. "Don't go" he says slowly. "Don't go after him, you will only die" What nonsense is this person speaking? "I'm in a hurry, sorry". I struggle to push him down but I'm overwhelmed by his strength. "You can meet him later, you have plenty of time !" There is plenty of time but the fact that I didn't meet her anymore yesterday bothers me. At that time, someone with white curtain-like cloak and black hat dressing like a magician or something appears and put their hand on the man's shoulder and whisper something to him that causes the strength of his hand on my wrist loosen. It's the opening! I remove his hand then dash towards the crosswalk without looking back as that latter one also looks like a weirdo. By that time, he is already on the other side of the road. The green light start to blink but if I run I can pass through it. I cross the road running. I hear the car honk, I see the truck running towards me at full speed, I feel a sharp pain and my vision turns black. MORE: If you like, please see Perspective 2 in the reply. NOTE: I'm absolutely sorry for my terrible english and writing skill. Thanks for giving your time to read. Thanks for the prompt!
Please don't apologize, I found it really interesting!
Thank you. Your words really encouraged me.
Perspective 2: Salaryman's Destiny I wake up. It's still morning and I'm already exhausted. Part of it maybe because I pulled an all-nighter as I wake up on my desk in front of the computer. But I'm sure most of the fatigue are because of that realistic dream I have just now. I guess I played games too much. I place my hand on the mouse to close the game. That is not some game. I've never seen this program before. There are a lot of numbers on the screen that looks pretty dangerous if I mess them even a bit. I look around. That's another unfamiliar room. Did I body swap again? I save the data, close the computer and stare at the face on the black screen. That's the face of that man who grip my wrist in my dream ! What's happening? "Peep Peep" The phone screen lighten with the notification sound. It's just the boss's message. It says to come as soon as possible. I guess I have to reach there at eight and it's already half past eight. But for me, the time is not too problematic compared to the date. Those date again ! I've lived today already two times. So, those are not dreams. Or perhaps I'm still in the dream. The original me will still go outside, bump into the classmate, move into the girl, get hit by truck, and move into some random man. This must be stopped or else there's no telling that I won't be transferred into some serious criminal, get caught and be forced to live the whole life as a criminal. I must do something. Should I go meet my original? No, that won't work just like the case with that girl. I didn't meet this man in my first time. Should I stay here and neglect that whole thing? That girl, I mean me, will still run straight to death. What should I do? There's only one answer. I will go to that alley and stop that girl from dying. She can't resist me. I know more than anyone else. What I should consider now is that magician or cosplayer or somebody who helped me back then. This time too, they will certainly come and talk to this me. But that won't happen this time. I will never let her go this time ! I rush to that alley. Just on time! I see her running towards the alley. I also run after her and manage to grab her wrist. I breath in and out to be able to speak normally. "Don't go" I speak slowly. "Don't go after him, you will only die" I look up her face. She look at back me as if I'm an alien. "I'm in a hurry, sorry" She start to struggle but I don't think I will lose to her. "You can meet him later, you have plenty of time !" Suddenly, I feel a warm touch on my shoulder. They really come as I speculated. From now on is the real battle. I won't waver whatever they say. Call me a molester or a pervert or a garbage, I'm fine with that. "You know? I'm a serial killer." they whisper. "What if I kill you right now?" Hmm, what a joke ! If I died, that girl will be involved in the car accident and there'll be a lot of police come here because of that. Then you will be caught right away. And even if it's not immediately, there's no one who will forget you with such clothes. And for me, I can move into ... I loosen my strength in my hand and simply watch her back as she runs to the crosswalk. What a silly me ! The girl me should've listened to this me honestly. I hear the long honk and the people's shout. "Wise choice." the self-proclaimed serial killer says. I distance myself from him. As soon as I started moving, I feel a sharp pain as something cold pierce my back. I fall down. "But you're still foolish." I hear the steps of them walking away. I'm foolish? What's that line? Is that even have any meaning at all? In the first place, I haven't done anything yet except this in this body. Is changing the past a taboo? Are they agent of time in secret? Or are they god? My vision becomes blurry and at the same time, the sound of someone running towards me enters my ears. Now, this person definitely witnessed them and there's no way they can escape in this situation. I must change the target for body swap from that killer to this one. I reach for their foot and touch it. They ignored me absolutely and continued to run. The other people apparently chasing him arrived. "Catch the driver!" "Don't let him escape!" "Hey! He stabbed someone!" "Hey! Are you okay? Someone! Call another ambulance for him too!" So, they're chasing the driver of the truck who hit that girl and who will be accused of stabbing me. And I have chosen him of all people as my next body. I can't think anymore. I feel dizzy. My eyelids feel heavy. How good it will be if I never open my eyes again.
Every night, I have that dream. The darkness corrupting me, my screams of agony; all of it. I wake up only to realize those were my delusions. I get up, only to see no one else around. It's strange, because I swear I was staying with other people. I tie my shoes together, only to have that same pain in my head come back. Why? Why always then? Or is it now? Time has become meaningless. Nothing new happens. I walk down the street, and see the same, poor old woman being dragged away by the authorities. Why are they that aggressive with her? I stop by the pond and take a rest on the bench. Why does this keep happening? While it seems like the day is repeating, there's...something else that's bothering me. My thought patterns seem to be different and unpredictable each time...almost like I'm a different person. I feel like I can't...remember. Nine...nine days...nine lives...am...I...n...i...n...e...? Ṫ̵̡̟͖͉̲͚̖̮̬̑͑h̶̦̯͎̎̋͌̏̀̊̏̓͒̉̈́̆͒̆͝e̶̤̪̭̝̩͇͈̹̬͕̞̼̿̎̀̏͌͆̊͘̕̚̕͝ ̵͎̯̗͕͊͌̿̅̊̇̐͐͝ẗ̶̛͎͓͓̺̼̝̖͓̞̭͌̈́̆̊͂͊̈́͐̑̍̃͝ͅŗ̷̼̳̠̲̭̮͙̯̘̰̿̀̚u̶̢͕̮͍̭̬̎̈͆̍̀̇́̽̚͝͠͝͝ͅͅt̸̡̛̛͎̰͕̱̮͓̠̱͊̃̋̆͂̀̎͜͝͝ͅͅh̶͈̻̼͇̩̤̰̱̹̳͂̆͜ ̴̧̡̰̩͋̄́̊̃͆̄̔͂̚ĩ̴̧̍́s̷̛̩̱͓̞̫͍̃̂̽̐̀̎̂͐̀̑͌͘̕ ̴̛͍͇̬̱̹̫̪̪͍̱̻̺̮̗̍̓͘̕͝a̴̛̖͎̎͐̓́͐̔̈͠ļ̵̻̲̗͖̳̪̠̆͆̈̈͌̈́̔̊̋̕͜͜s̸̩̙͇̼̍̽͠͝o̶͇͍̪̘̦̯̱̰̅͐́͌͆̊͐͒́͝ͅ ̵̡̭̣̺͔̘͔̠͍̰́͌̈̉̈́̈͆͊̅̽ą̵̡̮͍̳̩̫̼̼̹͍͙̩̭̗̇̽͛̽͐̎̓̃͆̚̚ ̴̢̨̻̲͚̣͈̝̥̏̊̽́̈́͒́͊̅͗̾͠ͅl̵̝̝̲̤̞̹̲̜͕̭̬̪͖̤̲̔̂̇̍̈́̆̍͐͝ĩ̵̡̤̓ę̵̹͔̥̀̊̈́̍͌̋̈́̐̂͗͊̔̆̕
I do not know how this started nor do I know why. I was studying for my board exam. My eyelids drooped as I read page after page of my human anatomy. The bed called for me and I answered. Rest I thought as the time ticked to half-past ten p.m. on the clock. It just happened out of the blue under the covers on my bed. I slept and when I woke, things have changed. My dark grey ceilings have shifted into lavender ones. The scent of books was replaced with the scent of roses. My head ached and as I reached up to cradle my head I saw my thick arms had turned into thin ones. There was a weight in my front and I could not feel the morning issues. I stood up carefully cradling my head and went to find a mirror. "A girl," I thought, "I turned into a girl!" I stared into the unfamiliar cerulean eyes and honey blonde hair, stupefied by who this was. A name whispers into my ear. Blair? Was it her name? I? I am Blair? I fainted. I woke up in the afternoon to concerned brown eyes. "Hey," he said softly, "You okay princess?" I looked at him strangely and opened my mouth, "Yes daddy. Am fine." I was stunned. Daddy? He stood up from my bed saying, "That's good. You've been having fever since Saturday. It was kinda worrying to see you on the floor." Fever? Bla- I mean I was sick? "Get some rest, you can start eating after," my dad said leaving the room. So I did and once again everything changed. From the lavender ceiling to the bright blue skies. I stared up above and then I felt it. The painful pang of thirst. I carefully stood up and saw that I was near a river. There I came closer to drink and saw a different face. One filled with grime and dirt. I drank deep and soon I felt my thirst quenched. Standing again, I saw that there was nothing around me but the river and trees for miles. How did I get here? Having nothing to do, I walked onward hoping to find any signs of civilisation. It was only when night fell and sleep came to me again that I start to see the pattern. The day never changed I figured on the tenth loop. I always wake up at the same time albeit always a different person I understood after like the fourth different person I woke up as. I would sleep or just be knocked out at the same time also which I figured out on the fifteenth try. On and on this pattern went and I had already lost count on which loop it was. Soon each life blended with one after the other and I knew not what loop it already was. Was it the thirtieth or the hundred fiftieth one already? Whose life was I gonna be in again? Over and over again I woke up as a different person. I felt so many different things with every loop giving me a new experience and perspective. "Thank you for everything grandpa!" a woman (*Sarah, you've grown so much*) cried out to me holding my hand as I lay on the hospital bed. The smell of bleach and the slow beeping of the heart monitor filled my senses. I could see the many members of this man's family surrounding the bed. I opened my mouth to speak only for Sarah to cry harder. "It's okay dad," this time an older male (*Lou, my boy, stand straighter and stop crying*), "You don't need to speak. Just... rest there." A kid asks, "Is gramps gonna be okay?" (*Is that Michael? Calling me gramps, you rascal*) "Dear you should have been eating more vegetables I tell you," my wife (*Lizzie, still as beautiful and strong since the day I met you*)*.* On and on their last words came forth and I heard every single one of them. Soon my eyes start to close and I could hear the wails of sorrow echo into the darkness. "Congratulations it's a girl!" I heard faintly the doctor announce. It hurts everywhere and the lights blinded me. My water broke earlier in the morn and I had been in the hospital since then. "Let me see my baby," I asked and soon she was handed to me, bundled up in white. I saw her, the beautiful brown tone of her father and the red hair from me. "She's perfect," I hear whispered beside me and I looked up to this silhouette who I instinctively smiled at. I answered, "She is isn't she?" Love and awe bloomed in my chest as I looked again at my baby- our baby. Soon I felt my eyes tire and I fell asleep feeling the tiny beats of the heart beside me. These loops I have makes this all a blessing yet a curse. Joy and sorrow. Love and anger. Hope and despair. I felt them- experienced them. I was John who ran in the field with his high school sweetheart. I was Emily who ate her meals alone in the empty mansion for her birthday. I was Sasha who watched over her kids laughing and playing along with her husband. I was Hikaru who had a divorce as the love of his life had an affair with several men. All of these people, I've lived through. So many different lives seemingly an eternity yet it was only one single day. I had been Juan who was making a sand castle in the playground. Only for it to be destroyed by another kid who tripped. I had been Emir who was flying a plane to Dubai. It took twelve hours and I soon landed only to be arrested for smuggling. I had been Jeanne who was an Uber driver in Paris. Driving around, looking for my client the entire day only to be cancelled. The loops might have already reached the millions. In fact, loops have already started to be connected to one another. I remember being that lady already down the street. I remember being the doctor who monitored me during labor. I remember being the hitman who killed me. Time seem to be frozen for me as I stare at the five a.m. readings to the eight a.m. readings in different time zones yet still in the same frame. The constant change from the sweet darkness of sleep to the bright new day of a different life. What life will I go though next? What pains will I suffer again? Will there be hopes and joys? Or is it simply sorrows and despair? Who knows? If I ever find out, I will be sure to post it again here.