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Lorem's life had never been anything grand.

He'd lived an almost perfectly average existance, with plenty of regrets, and plently joys throughout. He'd grown up in an average family, a mom, a dad, a sister, and various pets.

An average school life and education, and even meeting his first love, and many other firsts, during the long process of growing up in his small town/city life.

Leading on to an even more average job and family life of his own. Indeed, even Lor's ending was average, as he merely passed away in his sleep, at relative peace with his life and how it had all turned out.

But where Lor had perhaps expected a grand nothingness or even a grand biblical heaven and hell waiting for him, instead, something even more unexpected and curious happened.

"GAME OVER". The words didn't appear suddenly in a blue box like a video game screen, nor where they absent from his sight. Like looking at a video screen projected on a wall in 144p these new words, this new reality Lor found himself in was hard to fucus on. All that he could imagine was that he had reached an ending somehow.

He existed around like this for a few minutes, and eventually tried forming a though together, "Okay, now what?"

The thought faded from his head to be shuffled aside for a new one: "Go Again?"

Lor tried poking his own thoughts as to the meaning of these words, but was unable to make any progress along those lines, and thus settled on "Yes Please."

Suddenly, as though being grasped by the neck and pulled out of a lake of maple syrup by some unknown savior, Lor found himself in a much more familiar and comforting, yet completely puzzling reality.

[--- need to step away for a bit will write more on this in a bit.] .

The pain in my chest was unbearable. Just moments earlier a spear was plunged deep into my chest. Well it was actually a twisted pole from a road side guard. A possibly during driver jumped the median and crashed into my car. It happened so fast I couldn't turn the wheel fast enough.

Now I can see the glass shattered around me. I lay in my seat reclined with my hands to the sides. My head just staring at the twisted metal sticking out of my chest and through the empty windshield. Blood splattered across the dash and the messy splashes of rain.

I choked a swallow of saliva and breathed Shakey and scared. This is it... I know there is no surviving this. I don't need to look at the entry. It's best I don't. If I do then I'll panic and waste the small amount of time I have left. It's alright... Just stay calm. Cherish it...

I wish I told her how much I loved her before I left. We had gotten into a fight just before leaving. She was upset about her boss being a prick and I blew her off by saying my boss was worse. I should have just let her vent without me competing with it. She has been stressed lately and just needed support from me. I knew that. But I had to be an asshole and do that stupid thing.

I wish I saw my daughter's soccer game last night.. I was supposed to be there but work called me in. I told her after dinner that I'd be at the next one. I shouldn't have made a promise I can't keep. I'm sorry Lizzy... I can't help but think of her life. The day she was born was the most magical I've ever felt. Her face was so tiny and scrunched up screaming.

My wife held her close as they cut the cord. Tears flooding her face. This was the most loving moment I felt in my life. Soon there were millions of diapers and cute laughs that are so contagious you don't even know what's funny anymore you're just laughing with her. The days she would run up to me saying "daddy daddy look what me and mommy made for you!" And I'd see a popsicle cupholder and pencil holder all covered in glitter and stickers for my desk at work.

I actually put that on my work desk. It sits right next to my picture frame of them and my calendar. I even placed a cloth on the cupholder to protect it from my coffee cup.

And the smile my wife gave me when we first met. I had to be the arrogant asshole who insulted her car while changing its oil. I didn't know she was standing behind me and she really gave me her two cents worth of my ass. She knew her stuff and she really knew how to dig a hole into my soul. I still feel guilty for calling her car junk. She told me to apologize with a cup of coffee.

She gave the same smile on our wedding day. She stood in front of me holding my hands. She was dressed in white with rose gold accents because she was a bit of a rebel with traditional wedding dresses. The moment I kissed her I knew I was staring the best journey of my life.

Why didn't I appreciate it more...? Stay home more and work less... I gave my job most of my time. And what for...? As I sit here dying that job means nothing. They can replace me tomorrow... But my wife and daughter cannot. Sure they can move on but they can't feel the same again. I should have just been there more.

I'm sorry Renee... I'm sorry Lizzy... I love you both...

....game over....

....I opened my eyes before I was even able to process thoughts. The room was bright and white. Did I survive?

"Hello Jeffrey. You seem to have come out of the program nicely."

"What...?" I looked around dizzy. "Where is my family?"

"Uh oh... You don't remember. This happens sometimes." The doctor scientist looking guy sat down in a little chair Infront of me. "Your name is Jeffrey Daniels not Jeffrey Plain. You have been in a fantasy world during the period of your medically induced coma while you healed up from a car crash. The crash you experienced in the game is the same one in real life."

It all came flooding back. I was in a crash... But everything else... My family.. I'm a single man living in a crap apartment with no one. My heart ached. I loved them... Still do.. but they... All those memories... They were not real..

"Please let me go back in.... I want to stay in the coma.. I want to go back.."

"If we place you back in your body won't be able to function properly anymore and you'll eventually slip away. You'll die."

"So be it... I rather die with them than live alone here.."

"They are not real Jeffrey"

Every time I close my eyes I see their faces. I feel their warmth when I hug them. I can feel their souls close to mind. Something lodges in my throat draining it from moisture and forces me to cough. It won't go away and my eyes begin to flood with salty stinging tears.

"I... Don't... Give... A... Damn..." I express slowly with an authoritative tone. "I have a soccer game to see. Lizzy is counting on me to keep my promise and I need to apologize to Renee for being an asshole."

"Alright then..."

I lay back down as the doctor injects me with a syringe of something. I start to feel drowsy.

*It's alright guys... I'm coming home now... I love you both..."

...why do I get the impression that Lor's surname is Ipsum?

You might be on to something there😅.

(Didn't wanna use John Doe.)

Heh, very nice. I loved reading this. Very sad(?) Ending. But very appropriate to the prompt.

Lor found himself back in somthing that looks an awful lot like his previous home. The scenery shifts even as he looks at it. A shelf at one time he remembers holds a collection of novels and books for teenagers and young adults, packed alongside Lego constructs and Nerf guns. Only to shift to a shelf filled with certificates of education and accomplishments of a man at the peak of his prime. It shifts again, displaying family photos and models of carved wood made for someone much younger, another shelf contains boxes of useless junk along side bottles of pills.

Everything in the room follows this strange pattern of seeming to "age along" just as you stop observing it. Like a permanent trick of the eyes.

"Right then, this sight is giving me an awful headache, Lor thought. I think I'll have a sit down to gather my thoughts and wait out this mystery."

It was only once Lor was seated and relaxed that another state of mind began to overcome him again.

"PLEASE SELECT A MODIFICATION FOR YOUR NEXT LIFE"

Raising an eyebrow at the vagueness of "Modification" Lor decided to ask his mind what it really meant by this.

"Would you mind clarifying on what you mean by modification, please."

Almost at once he began to think back on his entire life, as though seeing it on a VHS or DVD player on 1000 times the normal speed. Lor remember all the times he'd wondered to himself about little things. Like changing who got his first kiss, who he married, what job path he went down, places he'd wanted to travle to, and other such small things.

But then there came the more wild fantasys. What if I was some sort of ancient eldrich monster that came from the ocean to wreak havic in the places I'd lived? What if I was a legendary beast like a Minotaur? What if Aliens had invaded and I'd become a super soldier to fight them off and save humanity, or even the reverse; being an alien sent to exterminate humanity?

All of these thoughts and fantasys played through my head and in my heart I knew each of them would be as real as my previous life.

But, Lor decided he had a few questions.

"Well, that was a rather large ammount of information to take in, he said as he rubbed his temples, I do have a few questions though."

"Firstly, have I been here before. Or- uh, I mean to say, Have I died before?"

"NO, THIS IS YOUR FIRST LIFE. AND IS THEREFORE YOUR FIRST TIME HERE"

"I see... I'm nit sure wether to feel comforted at that. Is this what awaits everyone after they die?"

"ANSWER REFUSED, ONLY QUESTIONS RELATED TO YOUR LIFES, OLD OR NEW WILL BE ANSWERED."

This answer caused Lor to pause. "How odd, a bit of a shame as I really am curious as to my family and friends, but I can understand the need for everyone to have their own privacy."

Lor decided to move on to another question, having the feeling that getting an answer out of the voice in his head would be the equivalent of trying to break through a brick wall with only a toothpick.

"How many mods and What kind of mods am I allowed to make?"

"ONLY ONE MODIFICATION OF ANY KIND IS CURRENTLY PERMITTED."

"Currently?" Now there was a curious thought to have, if Lor was understanding correctly (and he was), then he could be allowed only a single change among all of the possibilities he'd seen. "Seem's a bit of a waste doesn't it? Can't you allow my just 1 more change, please?"

"NO."

Lor frowned at such an abrupt rejection. "Ouch, didn't have to be so hard on me."

"Just one more question then."

"Will I remember any of my past life?"

"NO. UNLESS MODIFIED, MEMORY RETENTION OF PREVIOUS LIVES AND THIS EXISTANCE ARE RENDERED VOID"

"...I see." This final question troubled Lor deeply, he'd rather enjoyed his old life except for how deeply average it all was. Funny that even in death, he was still rather emotionally attached to his old life.

Lor sat for a great many minutes thinking on what to do. About what life to live. And yet...

The ever average man eventually decided on a most average dream in the end.

"Voice? Would it be possible to live the same life again, but be able to retain my memories of my previous life?"

"YES, THIS WILL USE UP YOUR MODIFICATION, ARE YOU SURE YOU WISH TO APPLY THIS MODIFICATION?"

"....yes, yes please."

............................................... ........................ ............ ....... ... . "MODIFICATION AND LIFE CONDITIONS SET, AS YOU ARE USING A PREVIOUS LIFE, DO YOU WANT TO SKIP FORWARDS TO A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME IN YOUR LIFE INSTEAD OF STARTING FRESH?"

Lor was quite surprised to hear(?) The voice say this and almost wanted to question how this wasn't another Mod, however, he was smart enough to not stick his head in the gift horses mouth all the way.

"What age am I allowed to start at?" But that didn't mean he didn't want to ask just that little question.

"TO ALLOW FOR EASIER MEMORY RETENTION AND PROVIDE THE FREATEST POTENTIAL FOR GOWTH, THE MINIMUM AGE ALLOWED IN THIS CASE IS 10 YEARS OF AGE. THE MAXIMUM AGE ALLOWED IS 69."

Lor made a squinting motion with his eyes and resisted the notion of laughing at the juvenile coincidence the voice had given him. "I see, thank you......"

After even more consideration, Lor decided to try and get an early start to his life again as a young adult.

"Voice, I'd like to start again as 20 year old me thank you."

"REINCARNATION BEGINING"

"LIVE A GOOD LIFE LOREM"

Before Lor could think on why the voice referred to him in name he felt a sense of somthing returning to him.

If he later tried explainingnthe experience to someone, Lor would say "It was as though I was experiencing what it was like to become concrete on the footpath, solidifying, becoming something."

And like waking up from a dream, he woke up having turned 20. Ready to live his new life.