She was laid out with her legs akimbo and he found himself staring up her skirt. It wasn’t like he was a total pervert, no more than any other guy but you could put the pope on the ground and he would’ve at least peeked. Once he realized what he was doing he averted his eyes, hopped up and helped the woman up.
They both apologized at the same time and the first three sentences of their lives were a jumbled mess as they kept talking over each other. Everything else had been a blur. They were made for each other and the point of their collision was when both of their lives had taken off. She had gone from secretary to leading associate in her investment firm. He had gone from being a shop employee to becoming the new general manager. It was as if the heavens had just opened up and offered anything for these two, they were charmed and they knew it but they didn’t know why.
Steve was starting to give his speech when a racket coming from the house caught their attention. It sounded like someone had set off fireworks in the house. There were explosions and screaming and they could see flashes through the windows. Steve and Shelly looked at each other in horror. Those weren’t fireworks, they were gunshots and it sounded like it was a shotgun.
That’s when they saw her through the window, it was John’s ex-wife and she was just ploughing through the crowd shooting anything that moved. Steve was about to look away when their eyes met. The crazy woman locked eyes with Steve, flashed a twisted smile and pumped off two rounds in their direction. The windows lessened the impact and spread the shot but both Steve and Shelly felt multiple impacts on their bodies.
They fell off the swing and onto the deck. Steve looked at Shelly and she had taken a nasty shot to the chest. He felt pain in his right shoulder, side, and leg but was ignoring it so he could check on his lover. She looked bad. Blood bubbled out of her mouth and he knew right away that she had taken a hit in the lung. He stroked her hair and told her how much he loved her as his hot tears poured onto her bloody body.
Steve took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. He told her “I’m going to marry you” and she forced a smile. A door crashing open from the house startled Steve and he looked up to see John’s estranged wife, now carrying a pistol, approaching them. She got about 4’ away and put two rounds into Shelly’s corpse and then two into Steve’s head. As his body fell onto Shelly she turned the gun on herself.
As everything went dark it suddenly got very bright. Two nondescript figures approached the man lying in bed and said “It’s time.” The man shook his head and said “You know you guys always come after a nasty one. You really should come a few minutes earlier so I don’t have to live through that again.” The two looked at him and said “It builds character” without any emotion. “I have more character in my pinkie than you two have in your entire souls you pathetic newcores.” He told the two who now tightened their grip on his arms and forced him down the hall a bit faster.
Chapter 5- The waiting room
The man was taken to a bland waiting room. He glanced at the “now serving” sign and it read 79838. He was number 556, this could be a while. He shook his head, they always woke him up after that horrible memory and they always made him wait at least two hours before sending him out. You would think after over 200,000 years the company would run smoothly but like any other governmental type entity, it was full of bureaucracy which made it clunky and inefficient.
The worst part of the deal was there was no entertainment. No magazines, no movies, not even art on the wall. You would think the waiting room for the implantation of souls into new humans would be a bright and cheery atmosphere but the whole operation was just bland and lifeless. It was the ultimate irony.
The man sat and thought about his history. He had a low number but he did not come into being until around 12,000 years ago. He didn’t know the details but he assumed that souls were wiped and recycled after so many life cycles. He really didn’t know anything about the operation, most don’t even know that they exist but he had been through the waiting room so many times that the whole process had become a part of his being. Maybe that is why the others get wiped; they get sick of the grind and rebel. He would probably never know. He would just cease to exist.
What he did know was this: the world had a ratio of new and old souls which maintained the balance of the human race. Good, old wisdom kept things from getting out of control and new, impressionable souls were necessary for naivety and innocence as a world without innocence is an ugly place. The factory kept tabs on the operation and pumped out recycles or newcores based on the needs established by those above.
A soul was considered a newcore until they had experienced 1,000 years of existence. You really couldn’t be knowledgeable in life without a dozen lifetimes. The experiences and varying circumstances wouldn’t allow for true wisdom unless you had experienced a variety of lifestyles. The factory was supposed to ensure that each newcore got these varying experiences so they could graduate to recycle status.
The strange part was the fact that there was no separation of good and evil at the factory. It was almost as if they didn’t acknowledge it. The man had been murdered over 30 times in his over 180 lives and he recognized a soul or two that had done him in sitting in the lobby. If they ended up in the same region he could be done in by one of them again. The factory simply didn’t care about right and wrong, they only cared about wisdom and innocence.
The man didn’t pretend to understand and he probably didn’t have enough of the big picture to tell the story so he never even tried. He just knew that he was very old and he could tell by looking at a soul how many lifetimes he had lived. He was definitely the oldest in the room at this time.
He gave another quick scan but came back with nothing. There was one thing that was a constant in his looping dreams of memories. He always had a soul mate. He was very lucky to have found his in every lifetime he had experienced. Unfortunately many of his lifetimes involved some kind of tragedy with his soul mate. It wasn’t all negative though, there were at least 40 lives where he grew old and died in his lover’s arms. Strangely though he didn’t get a lot of pleasant dreams like that. His character apparently was born of strife and most of his memories were of the tragic and negative nature with a couple happy memories thrown in almost as if they were an afterthought.
DING. The now serving number switched to 556 and he got up and approached the desk. Hopefully they would have his profile filled out and he could just go through the door and get this over with. The desk clerk looked up at him and motioned to the chair. “Sit” he said and looked back down at the papers in front of him. “Not ready again, eh? You guys are models of true efficiency” he said sarcastically to the desk jockey.
The man behind the desk grunted and replied “It’s a busy time of year, shut up” and went back to his work. Without looking up he started reciting from the paper. “You will have the following memories: Paul Fitzsimmons, Terry Griswald, Unghar Pontillis, Fillpot Criswell, Gunter Desmontes…and the list went on with 10 names. The man winced at some of the memories and smiled at a couple. This new being would have some dark concepts but still a little light in his heart. The man continued talking.
“You will learn German easily, you will be inclined to work with your hands, and you will be socially active. Make your mark below acknowledging your acceptance of these terms.” The man signed without question, it was a formality, it’s not like you could say no and get a different set-up. It was kind of like the “Is this ok?” question on store’s credit card readers.
While the bureaucrat was finishing up the paper work the man reflected on one of the names he heard. Paul Fitzsimmons, the pre-teen who was murdered over the incarnation of his soul mate for that era. He shuddered and hoped that his “Emily” would be a little more accessible this time around. Usually it meant that he would meet a similar and just as untimely death unless he used his “wisdom” from a previous life to avoid it. This generally entailed avoiding the girl altogether but a soul mate is a tough
thing to avoid, especially one you have known for millennia.
The man behind the desk punched a few things into his keypad which looked horribly out of date, much like everything else in the factory. It was a wonder it even ran, everything was so ancient looking. “Alright, you know what to do” he said and pointed towards the door to the far left.
The recycled soul got up and walked to the door, he put his hand on the knob and took a deep breath and prepared for his birth. It wasn’t a memory that many people carried with them but since he had done it so many times he remembered bits and pieces from a few. It wasn’t a pretty thing at all and he was amazed people could still enjoy their partners after witnessing it.
He turned the knob and entered the darkness. There was always a lag between full consciousness and the idiocy of becoming a blank slate. It seemed to take a bit longer than usual, it was like a blink of an eye the other 180+ times but this time the man stood there for a moment and even looked back at the open door. The light above was red, not green and he could hear panic coming from the other end. His world went dark red and he suddenly felt really constricted.
Chapter 6- Birth
His new mother pushed and pushed until he finally saw the light of day. The sights he saw and the things he felt would haunt him for the rest of his days. He really hoped his imprint would be wiped soon because this was the kind of memory that just wouldn’t leave you anytime soon. Think on it a moment, your child being born is beautiful because you are bringing a part of you and your partner into the world and it is totally dependent on you. Imagine being born with 12,000 years of knowledge, hundreds of births, hundreds of mothers and then hundreds of lovers. Then you get pushed out of a woman who means nothing to you with full recollection of your years. Not pretty.
The newborn looked around with cloudy eyes. He knew it would be a while before his sight truly developed but he could make out the blurry images of his mother, his father, the doctor and hospital staff. He suddenly realized that everyone was staring at him. He shouldn’t be looking around! He should be wailing wildly and probably peeing all over the place. He had honestly never been in the delivery room before, not in all his years. His tragic lives always seemed to end before he could see reproduction all the way through.
The man panicked and did what he thought babies should do. He cried. It sounded really awful at first but he started to get the hang of it pretty quick. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and went on with the after birth routine of cutting the cord, washing the kid, and returning him to his mother’s arms.
He was finally getting comfortable, as comfortable as a 12,000 year old man trapped in a newborn can be that is. His eyes were focusing better and he could see his mother. She was a beautiful woman, young, vibrant and so proud. She kept tickling at his chin and kissing his forehead. He was thankful that babies couldn’t get aroused because even in her beaten down, after birthing state she was a very attractive woman. He started to smile but realized he shouldn’t be able to so he just cooed a little and closed his eyes.
Bryan, as his parents called him, was an amazingly bright boy. His parents were constantly surprised at how intelligent and fast learning he was. The reality was that Bryan needed to get on with his life. This gift he got, even if it was a mistake, was incredible. He knew things that no man or woman on this planet knew. He could influence the world in profound ways with his knowledge of the past. He felt he should use this gift wisely and try to make the world a better place.
Whether the soul factory admitted it or not, there was evil in the world and Bryan had an intimate relationship with evil, he had seen it for a very long time. This time he intended to do something about it.
His parents were mind blown when he started crawling when most babies are barely able to lift their heads. Bryan had tired of his mushy, weak body and spent his alone time lifting his toys and stuffed animals like weights. They were even more amazed when he took to his feet and started walking. Imagine their surprise when they found him on the toilet at barely a year old. Bryan was sick of his diaper; it was so nasty sitting in your own filth. His parents were good and his mom was quick to change him but even 15 seconds was enough to make him want to puke.
Strangely, his mom would tell her friends, he wouldn’t ween off the breast milk. Other babies his age were starting to eat cereal and other nasty baby foods but Bryan refused. He was a boob man. Obviously the dirty old man in him enjoyed his mother a little too much but the other reality was the baby food was horrendous and his mother’s milk was sweet and tasty. He would’ve liked it chilled and possibly with some chocolate syrup but beggars can’t be choosers and he would hold on to the teat until he had teeth and could chew meat.
So his life went. He would try to hold back as much as possible because he didn’t want to scare his parents with his development but at the same time he really needed to find someone he could express his thoughts with. He had tried to secretly chat with a neighbour baby but she just freaked out on him and wouldn’t stop screaming.
Bryan started hiding a little notebook and pencil under his crib’s mattress and recording his thoughts. He had to do something or he would go insane. He was lying in bed one day and thinking he was alone started swearing about something that was annoying him. His mother, Heather, walked by as he muttered something under his breath. “Did you just say something Bryan?” she inquired. “Nope.” He answered and instantly realized he had screwed up.
Heather rushed into the room and grabbed her baby boy out of the crib and squeezed him tight. “Oh my big baby boy is such a genius” she said and then reverted to the baby voice “yes he is, isn’t he?” Bryan gave her a ‘really lady?’ look and her eyes got wide. “You don’t like that do you?” she asked him and he shook his head and said “nope” again. She shook her head and set him down. “You are really amazing” she said and he answered “you too mommy”. She left the room to go call her husband and tell him the news.
Bryan was upset at himself for letting the cat out of the bag so soon but at least now he would have someone to talk to. He just had to remember that he shouldn’t be using sentences or big long words yet. He just knew something was going to slip out. He had already been given a “stern” talking to after saying mmmmm a little too much when he was feeding. If she only knew what he was really thinking the poor girl would never let him see her boobs again.
Bryan refused to perform for his father but would talk to Heather when he wasn’t home. He wasn’t trying to make the man think he was insane, he just didn’t like him too much. He got the feeling that he never really worked late but was out running around on Heather under the guise of work. That really made him angry because the woman was absolutely gorgeous and he was falling in love with her. She was a kind, caring woman and really smart too which he discovered as soon as he forced the baby talk drivel out of her.
The two would develop a really tight bond, the kind that a real mother and child would have. As much as he hated it, Bryan began to love her as a caretaker and not a sex object.
Chapter 7- Growing up
Bryan and Heather would become best friends during his childhood. Bryan was right about his “father” and soon began planting evidence from his wallet and car so his mother would find it. She ended up leaving the man when Bryan was 4 so they had plenty of alone time.
Bryan never came clean with her about his whereabouts but she had to suspect he was otherworldly or just amazingly gifted. At 4 years old when they moved into their new, small apartment, Bryan turned to her and said “It’s ok Mommy that man wasn’t good enough for you and this place is cozy for the two of us.” She had stopped being amazed years ago and just answered “You’re right Bryan; let’s make it our beautiful home together.”
His mother would draw the blinds tight and let him put together furniture she had bought, she would let him cook and his food was amazing. He had moments where his little body couldn’t do what his brain wanted and he would break down a little but for the most part he was a ma
n in a toddler’s body.
She decided to home school him because there would just be too much attention brought to her little man if he went to public school. She didn’t know the full extent of his knowledge but she knew it was far beyond any school level she had attained. The two would just go on about their business and at times people told them they seemed more like a couple than a mom and child. It was weird but Heather thought that too at times. She had no sexual desire for the boy but thought of him as more of an equal than as a mother/child relationship.
Bryan did as much for his mother as he could and in the meantime he was trying to reach out and find people from his past that might help him figure out what had happened. He was starting to suspect that the Soul Factory had broken down completely after he went live because the kids he had been meeting were just flat stupid.
He could tell they were newcores by the way they handled themselves but there should have been a mix of recycles in there as well. As far as he could tell there had not been a recycle pushed out of the factory since he was born. He hoped that maybe he just lived in a region with dumb kids but he had seen 6 year olds in diapers. It really angered him but he knew they would be clueless without the aid of previous life experiences.
Heather eventually met another man. This time he was actually worth her time and effort and Bryan didn’t stand in their way. He still acted more like a “normal” child around her boyfriend but he did let the guy see glimpses of his brilliance. It kept Heather sane because there were times that she cried and begged him furiously to show the world how smart he was. He knew better though, the world couldn’t handle him and bad things would happen to both of them. He didn’t really care about what happened to him because he had been around so long but Heather was a brand new recycle and barely had 1,000 years under her belt because two of the bodies she had occupied had met untimely and young deaths.
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