For the first time in her life, Dabria wanted to refuse someone from using her system. Her confidence had ebbed, turning to another extreme.
She didn't want to sell a flawed product. Her pride didn't allow her to. She had to fix the system before another user tested it.
A million excuses sped through her brain as she struggled to find the right words, but the lingering hope that the previous trial was all a one-time glitch jammed those words at the tip her throat.
It was almost as if an angel and a demon sat on the opposite sides of her shoulder.
"Don't dooooo it," the angle chastised, taking on the appearance of her ever-so-righteous elementary teacher. "You knooooow you shouldn't."
"Yada yada yada," the demon joked. "Geez, girl, do you want the job or not? Like you have literally two days to find new customers?" Suddenly, it took on the shape of a boot. "Or else guess what?"
They battled back and forth, and Dabria was completely left more confused than before.
"Hello?" The voice jolted Dabria back to reality. "So can I try the system?"
Yeah, no matter whether she listened to her personal morals or her demons, her conclusion was that the man before her definitely wasn't in the right state of mind.
He dressed well enough, donned in a classical suit that was popular in the fifties and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. But he couldn't be thinking straight.
Dabria rushed up, waving her hands before his eyes to make sure that he wasn't being possessed. He stared blankly at her, further fueling her suspicion that a younger ghost had taken advantage of his age and possessed him.
"I don't understand. Can I not try your system?" And yet he persisted, the weariness in his voice seeming to seep as deep as his bones. But the earnesty was true.
"I'll just ask him questions until he's fed up and leaves on his own," Dabria thought to herself, appeasing her morals and her need to fulfill her quota. "If he stays, then that's really up to him." A smile formed on her lips when she thought of this perfect solution.
"So why do you want to use the system?"
"You hadn't asked the previous girl that question." Apparently he had paid attention to her far before she had a recollection of him.
"Different age groups have different survey questions." She paused. "But why?"
She pushed again, finding him more and more suspicious. Sure, he looked like a benevolent grandpa, but what if he was a super villain or something?
The wrinkles in his face deepened as he smiled, a warm one that seemed reminiscent of a better time. "I want to visit someone." His eyes were on Dabria, but his heart was obviously elsewhere.
"Who?" She tried to pack the most in the least amount of words.
His lips quivered. Taking a deep breath, he replied with two simple words that seemed to carry the entire weight of his existence. "My wife."
"Is she dead?" Why was he still there, Dabria thought to herself. These questions were surely odd enough for him to think that the system wasn't legitimate.
He paused again. "No."
Dabria exploded, knowing that her claims were anything but just. "Then go visit her! It's not like you can't remember what she looks like or have suppressed memories that my system can't handle!"
But as soon as those words came out of her mouth, she regretted them. The elderly man looked simply crestfallen.
"But she can't remember me."
That's when Dabria recalled the passage from the guidebook Death had given her.
If you forget the events of your life when you are still alive, it means that you had signed a contract in your previous life. It was a priority pass of some sorts or a preorder, whatever you liked to name it. Without even needing to drink the soup of regret, you could pass directly on to your next life.
She had been so tempted to try out this service in case the job didn't work out, but seeing this man before her, she wasn't so sure anymore.
"But she can't remember me," he repeated, looking at her with sad eyes.