A Reminder Every Step

Every step he took sent a small jolt of pain up his stiff left leg, thanks to the stone inside his shoe.

He made sure it was there every day. Occasionally he’d replace it, as they wore down, or he found a better one. If anyone ever noticed and asked, he told them that it was to remind himself on every step of the journey that life has hardship, and one must learn to accept this.

Actually, it was there to make sure he remembered which leg he was supposed to limp with, but he didn’t tell people that, obviously.

Job Opening

The figure was kneeling before Him, then rose and turned around. It was me! They charged, and I brought my lightblade up. I began to theorise as we fought.

“Clone? Alternate universe?”

“No, time loop.” Future Me replied.

“There is no way I would ever work for… Him!”

“Well, see…”

Future me grabbed my dagger and stabbed me.

“Your only hope to survive now is to head through that portal… There, and then kneel.”

The pain was immense. I reluctantly walked through, and knelt at my new Master’s feet, receiving a blessing and newfound vision, before rising and turning around.

On Tilt

Tilt (poker) (verb): To let previous bad luck impact your future performance, usually leading to even worse results.

He couldn’t believe it. All the time and effort he’d put in, all the sacrifices he’d made for her. He moved across the country, giving up his job, his inner-city apartment, his entire life, to move out here to the middle of nowhere in a forest shack, and by sheer luck he found out she was cheating on him. He needed to release some anger, and punched the wall, breaking it, and finding all the money hidden inside.

Usually, but not always.