text: Jerry’s days were monotonous. Every day, every night, the same cycle. He thought this was what he wanted, after all this was the American dream right? He had graduated college, gotten a job at a law firm, and started a family. Although he loved his family something didn't seem right. Every morning his wife greeted him in the same way. “Hey honey, how'd you sleep?" his wife would ask. His two kids would exclaim, “Good morning Daddy!” in unison. Always this, nothing more nothing less. After, he would make 2 scrambled eggs, bacon, and some coffee. Then it was time to head to work. On his way to work, he would always be stopped at the same red light and a black Toyota Camry would give one senseless honk at him. When he got out of his car at the parking lot, a black lab on the sidewalk would bark three times. Once in his job, a man named Lorenzo would walk into his office exactly five minutes into his shift with a question about a civil dispute. Throughout the day the same clients he'd seen time and time again would stumble in. After 12 hours of this, he would go home. “Welcome, home Daddy,” his two kids would say in unison once again. After having meatloaf and potatoes for dinner with a glass of cheap wine, he’d head to the living room to watch T.V. As always, the Buccaneers were playing the 49ers and when he turned it on the score would be 21-21, 5 minutes into the second half. At exactly 11:30 he would head to bed and immediately fall asleep. The next morning the cycle would repeat. This continued to repeat until one day, an inconsistency happened. A man walked into the law firm Jerry had never seen before sporting a black leather jacket. He asked to speak with Jerry at the front and headed to his office. Without any greeting, the man prompted, “Aren’t you bored yet?”. For a brief moment, Jerry was confused about what he meant by bored, but within a few seconds, something clicked. Although he felt things had been off for a while it was as if a force in the air prevented him from doing anything about it, he was like a salmon flowing down an endless river, he lived an inescapable, monotonous existence. “Haven’t you noticed?" asked the man. "It's all the same Jerry," he said coldly. "Why don’t you go and feel your heartbeat for me,” he coerced with an eerie grin. To Jerry's horror, his heart was as still as a statue and he now noticed his skin was frigid as well. “You see Jerry you're already dead, you've been a corpse for many years now," the man stated dryly. "You’ve been repeating this day endlessly for quite some time, but in case you're wondering this is heaven nor hell, or even purgatory". "No, no, no, my dear friend this isn't a place for the good or bad, but instead for those who waste away their precious life. Those who were too scared to chase their dreams and chose to wallow in a miserable existence instead," stated the man. "You always wanted to be an actor Jerry, that was your only real passion in life, but you were too much of a coward to take the chance, too scared it would go wrong so you worked a job you despised and married a woman you didn't love until you died a lonely death, am I right?" asked the man callously. "However, I have a proposal for you," the man declared and began to smile. "I’ve chosen to give you one more chance. You will relive your life from when you were 18 and will have 10 years to change your fate and pursue your dreams". "If you manage to change, I'll let you live the rest of your life out. However, if you fail again, you won’t be going back to this place, oh no you'll be going someplace far, far worse, I’m sure you can imagine what I’m referring to," the man pressed. "Oh and if you choose not to accept you'll continue this day for all of eternity," he added. "Well, the decision's all yours Jerry, what will it be?" he asked with a nefarious smile. Face to face with the devil, Jerry reached out his hand....