Exhausted pale blue eyes creaked open to a familiar ceiling. Ray's vision panned around, much to the entirety of the same familiar room. That's right, he was back here again for the umpteenth time. He was testing the extent of this ability he had; the one that allows him to jump to the past. Ray didn't want to live the rest of his life in solitude, and choosing to understand his own demons was the first step towards freedom. He looked at the clock, it was Monday seven in the morning just as he knew it would be. Then came a knock on his door. Just the same, he already knew it was the landlord going to remind him that his rent is due tomorrow. Any changes this day would be entirely up to him, otherwise he pretty much had the living half of this day in the bag.<br/><br/>It was the first work day of the week. After seeing through all the mundane rituals and early morning events that this Monday held for him, Ray prepped himself for work. After locking his apartment room, he made his way down to the lobby, greeted the old receptionist just as he always would, and stepped out once again into the world on this fine day.<br/><br/>As usual, the streets were packed with people. Each individual minding their own business, walking their own paths in life, forced upon them or chosen by their own free will. For someone who has the power to take his leisurely time and choose wisely, Ray couldn't help himself but feel pity for the more unfortunate ones, though he couldn't say that he himself was fortunate to have such power. Just looking at himself now, he was no better than the rest of those unfortunate souls; he was cursed.<br/><br/>Taking a turn towards where the bus stop was, a smirk inched its way to his lips. This is where it gets interesting. On this street: someone will get robbed in the open, an arguing couple would come out of the coffee shop to the left, a half-full paint can will accidentally fall from above, and a police car would be driving by in a few minutes. The first Monday he had been in this part of the streets was a total mess. The mugger got away, the couple got splashed in paint, and the police was just too late to be the victim's hero. This 'event' was also essentially the reason why Ray chose to face his demons, to see if he could at laeast do something good with what he has.<br/><br/>On his first try, Ray chose a direct approach, to go after the mugger. When he was about to catch up, the mugger pulled out a piece. The moment he realized it, Ray was already back in his apartment a little shaken. From there he had established that the mugger was armed and dangerous. On his second attempt, caution preceding his actions, he tried to warn the victim discreetly but he ended up accused of being an accomplice. That didn't end well for both parties. On his third endeavor however, he tried tripping the mugger while the guy was on the run. That one resulted in several casualties. The guy pulled out his gun and fired several shots randomly. A few frightened people jumped to the streets causing a mayhem of vehicular accidents. From there, Ray established the fact that a direct input from him produced negative results; it wasn't easy being a hero he thought.<br/><br/>He spent the next few Mondays quietly observing, pressing with great intent to figure out if the events would not change if he chose to do nothing. Much to his surprise, it turned out exactly as he predicted it would. The mugger would take the same route, avoid the same people, and ultimately make his quick escape. It was then that Ray thought, what if he had an indirect hand at influencing the events? Would it still had a negative effect? Of course, he had to try. All those same days spent observing was for this moment.<br/><br/>Back on the streets, Ray came in a few minutes early. He had his course of action plotted, the timer in his watch set, and his eyes roaming to catch a glimpse of the victim. His plan was simple, stand in front of the cafe's doorways and block it just enough so that the arguing couple would not get in the mugger's path. Judging from the speed that mugger will run, if the couple wasn't there to slow him down, he would be just in time to unintentionally catch the soon to fall paint can. A few more minutes later, there she was, the victim. Ray's heart pounded wildly in anticipation. Thirty seconds from now, the mugger will come from behind, snatch the bag and make a mad dash to the horizon with his prize, assuming his plan goes without a hitch that is.<br/><br/>Then it came, that cry for help that had become increasingly familiar, the startled people, the dash to escape; the event had begun. Ray felt the doors behind him slam onto his back but he was much too preoccupied to even care. His gaze was fixated on two things, flicking back and forth between his timer and the fleeing man. He counted down with bated breath until he heard quite a sickening sound followed by a the sound of a man falling to the ground. Ray's eyes widened, mouth lightly gaping and heartrate increasing exponentially at the realization. Having an indirect input on this event not only allowed him to influence it with change but also achieve a desirable outcome. It worked!<br/><br/>"Excuse me sir! You're kinda in the way there!"<br/><br/>The voice that came from behind pulled him back to the present in a timely yet less courteous manner. The scorn in the voice immediately telling Ray that the couple was still in the heat of their argument. Not wanting to be caught up in another event that might pique his interest, Ray politely excused himself and watched the rest of the previous event unfold. It didn't matter if he was late for work today, he had just helped someone in need using his demon and it felt damn good to have done so. After all that's been said and done, the culprit was taken into custody and the victim recovered her bag. It was a victory for him, the unsung hero of this fine Monday. Slipping both hands inside his pockets, Ray continued on, blending in with the crowd and playing the part much like the rest of the other people did, a normal citizen.