--

  The first path...

  I sat there at that diner. I was craving a do-over. I know it was a bad idea, I know I haven't lost anything yet, my gut tells me. And my eyes can't decieve me, the same people I killed yesterday seem to be alive and kicking right now before my eyes. I told myself I don't even know them, the people that adopted me those many years past, my gut agrees for some reason again, something about this timeline says I was an orphan that lived out his life in the slums, the other part of me is saying it doesn't matter... if I know what the truth is the same goes for him. Just like those years back, I stabbed myself in the hand because I knew of what was coming and I couldn't wait for the thrill of my life to pick me, like in a dodgeball game where students pick whos in their team.

  My body's telling me to leave, leave now you won't like, my mind agrees, but my heart is craving that one time feeling again. I know its irrational, I'm a disgusting addict. Then my heart dropped, thump thump thump, was that my heart or was that footsteps... I was scared to take a peek on the people behind me. I was like a sitting red flag, missing quick time events on purpose (whats a quick time event, what am I even saying). I was sitting on the seat I usually sit on, the same one from back then, like a big marker for idiot sitting here come pick on me.

  Then sat down, w w wait what WHAT. He sat down? He sat down, my heart stopped racing, I closed my eyes just for a second. Took deep air in, took deep air out, was I the reason everything went down the way it did, was I the one who started by knowingly coming here... yes... yes I did. How will I go too work tomorrow... I have the money, I have no current enemies I left alive, never dealt any business to the cartel funnily enough. I got a fresh new start. I never lived, never truly.

  I was left speechless, for being a "buddhist" I feel empty. But feeling empty is not a sign of buddhism is it, you let go of what's holding you back, and for me none of it physical is it? Man I dodged a bullet even though it was right behind me (thump thump thum thu t...) he didn't even notice me, good riddance. I can't fully accept buddhism, but I have suffered caused by craving and I must let go of that. I can't do that... which is depressing looking at it through buddhism, but buddhism is also depressing. What I can learn to do is not let my being and happiness depend on others doing.

  ...

  Man I wanna learn music. I wanna be a comedian, I wanna be whatever. This is awsome, one thing I know imma end up being more of an alcoholic after this. Too much thinking. No more thinking. As my vision unblurried out of my asshole, I started to see the streets, the ground gray on the sides and yellow in the middle of sand and a lot more corpses just laying about. I think my nostrils got used to that smell, same with the kids and the adults. Like a zombie apocalipse. Welp new year new me BABY!!

  Malfonz heard someone scream, he looked back and as soon as he saw and could recognize who it was, Neova booked it. "I know you love me but there's a limit man", said Neova screamingly running away. Malfonz didn't even try, "New year new me, disgusting", he said as he walked away.

  --

  The second path...

  Neova woke up, chugged a bunch of liquor and his budgeted spending money for the day was at a sub zero. Even drunk he was a stickler to his budget, and as he went to work on his day off he was sent to the office to take in a new recruit.

  "AYe AYe sIR", he said looking at the mans beard. Hand gesture and all.

  "Wow love the enthusiasm, and what is that yoga bright and early in the morning, good job freshman (corrected whisper) senior, take in our new sophomore trainee in study, to show how you kill", he said chuckling to himself looking at the stacks of bills he plans to never pay, then chucks it to the trash.

  The new guy in full confusion over the state of the workplace, and the obviously drunk man who is supposed to teach him. As he looks at the drunk man he quickly looks away because he accidentally started an unskippable cutscene (what is that... a cutscene).

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "H H hey HEY LiTTLe man over there, (he looks back just to look away), yes yeS You diD yOu know I have a girlfriend, (confused he looks at the boss, who is eyeing his money) yeh yeh...

  She lives inside me, no no not here (pointing at his heart) here look look... here (he points at his head) joy is hot, sadness can fuck herself but disgust man she the emotion for me", he says arching his back more.

  "Your dating your own emotions, get some water dude, the worst part is that was you as the most inteligible", the man walks Neova out as they leave for a cafe.

  "Dude I think I like midgets", Neova said sober. About to chug another glass he hid under his coat, but stopped by the newbie.

  "I think he was drunk sir", said the worker.

  "Wh what, fire him next time you see em" ... "Man as my secretary you could have helped me out with my footrest", says the boss not even looking at her focused on the small words on his news paper.

  -- (Segway) --

  "Give me a run down, what was said when and why", said Neova munching on a burger right outside the workplace under the sun talking to the newbie.

  "You recover fast, but as I was saying I got the role of following you around, to learn how you kill", said the newbie.

  "You ever point a gun... (he nods), you ever shoot a person (he nods), you ever have the stamina to run away in crisis (he nods), do that over the span of your life and your on the same level as me", said Neova pondering something.

  "Hey hey (spitting food drenching the newbie) you uuuh you know have some leftover time fo (looking down not knowing what to do with his hands) hanging out ("No") damn dude", said Neova having finished the burger, he remembered mid convo of the book he read about making friends and how pushing down your own ego was a big part of that.

  "Welp I tried", said Neova gesturing the waitress as newbie was about to order something too, as she was coming newbie moved away his toe as to not trip the waitress stubbing it on his chair cackling like a hyena.

  "That's what I should call you Hyena boy or just Hyena", says Neova cackling like he said some A tier joke, "Hey if someone else said it the whole room would be LAUGHING, damn I should never talk, damn I should kill myself, I should die, I'm gonna go die", slowly muttering to himself to the point of whispering.

  "My names Schugkegel, it sounds better from where I come from", said Hyena.

  "You friends with a certain german man with a bowl cut", asked Neova.

  "Dude my afternames asking for anus, "At anus", said Neova without a smirk.

  (Both laughing)

  -- (Segway) --

  As they ventured into the library, Hyena had a book he planned on borrowing and while Neova was eyeing his face through a mirror trying to comb his hair with just his hands. Didn't even notice how he's not even looking at the future anymore, all he gets to see is his face. What color are your eyes, the shape of yoru nose and the shape of your growing lip moustach if you even have one, are common questions a narrator like myself would ask. Neova on the other hand was seen eyeing people across the room, after pampering himself. Hyena stuck in what kind of magazine he was planning on borrowing alongside his book purchase about the mysteries of the universe. In his thoughts people have created a rocketship, the identifier of who is correct the flat earth or the spherical earth.

  (The answer is the flat earth, but people can dream)

  "I never asked why you joined the agency you work for, with the money you have you could live your whole life without a job", said Hyena looking at Neova and understanding that this job is his only way to socialize in any acceptable way.

  "Maybe you work here because you suck at talking to people", he muttered under his breath.

  "Hey... you seen those people before, they look like people I saw in my dream before", said Neova trying his hardest to whisper without the room hearing, Hyena bailing him out of that situation.

  "What is this about your dream again..." asks Hyena while eyeing his magazine he borrowed, planning on reading the book on his downtime.

  "I remember how I kidnapped those two guys (pointing at them) I called that guy over there Lefty and that guy was Righty... I can't remember but one of them was more aggressive than the other and that girl over there was my girlfriend (him still pointing at them and Hyena having to lower his finger and tone)", as Neova finishes talking Hyena shuushes him up.

  "You suck at whispering dude", says Hyena right after Neova gestures toward them, while they start leaving having asked who was that guy a couple of times.

  --(Segway)--

  As both plan to head home, Hyena asks Neova about all this he was spouting. Neova answers him about his past life, how he can see the future not feeling hostility, while Hyena just pats him on the back. What a day Neova thought, and as he looks at the mirror he realizes. His face is white, his chin is there but hard to notice, a bloated nose with one or two freckles on his nose and eyes of brown shade and white inner outline like sharp thorns for each number head in a clock. Neova in shock of the fact he maybe lost his power, then when in stress the power is unlocked again. As he goes to sleep, he notices the vaccine on his desk. He sleeps and finally rests his head. Fin.