"5,4,3,2,1, Action!"
"Mr. Vance, you're better off being a bencher."
"You are fired, Mr. Vance!"
[Ding! System activated]
Vance's eyes opened wide as fragmented memories flashed through his mind like a chaotic movie reel. Though he couldn't recall the identities of the people in the visions, he could tell that they were furious with him.
[First mission: get signed as an artist by a director.]
[Reward: $1,000, a black card, and absolute strength from initial pain.]
[Punishment: two weeks of pain.]
[Time limit: two days.]
Vance frowned as he was confused by the strange voices and messages filling his head. He looked around, hoping for something that would make sense of what he was hearing.
Vance sat up in the hospital bed and smelled the antiseptic scent of medicine and disinfectant. A shiver of fear ran through him as he wondered how he'd gotten to the hospital. Was he in a psychiatric hospital, perhaps? He thought.
He glanced down at his polished toes which had a ring in the middle toe and a thought struck him. 'I'm an actor and a model, so why am I in the hospital?' he wondered.
He had remembered that at least. Another notable thing was the hospital gown he was draped in.
The white hospital gown he wore was dotted with light blue polka dots, and its soft cotton fabric rustled as he shifted in the bed. A thin tube snaked from his left hand to the IV drip that hung beside the bed, its clear plastic bag slowly emptying as it dripped saline solution into his vein.
He looked down at the bed and beside him was the oxygen mask. "Gulp!" he gulped. The oxygen mask beside the bed was made of clear plastic, and its empty nasal tubes dangled down toward the floor.
Vance's heart pounded as he considered the consequences of his fans finding out he was hospitalized. 'How did I end up here?!' he thought with dismay.
Vance didn't want to even consider the consequences of that.
Without warning, the door burst open, and a gray-haired man of about fifty rushed into the room. He frowned at the sight of the young man sitting on the bed, staring blankly into space with an expression of utter confusion.
The man leaned in and said, "Hey there, my dear. You feeling okay?" as he attempted to ruffle the young man's hair. But Vance recoiled, like a spooked cat.
"Hahaha!" Vance stammered, feigning terror as he scooted away. "Who are you?!" he exclaimed, doing his best impression of a frightened damsel in distress.
As far as he could tell, he was completely clueless, so playing up the fear seemed like the best course of action.
The man's eyes widened in disbelief, and he stood there with his mouth hanging open, like a beached fish gasping for air. "You don't remember anything, do you?" he asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, he let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "I should have known," he groaned.
As the man rambled on and on about himself and some nefarious plot involving the devil, Vance sat back and let his mind wander. He imagined fluffy clouds drifting by in a clear blue sky, while a cartoon bird chirped 'peep-peep!' in the distance.
A bubble of boredom formed in his brain, growing bigger and bigger until it threatened to burst.
"Oh, the devil is out to get me!" the man lamented, pulling at his hair with both hands. "He's out to destroy me!" With a dramatic flourish, he threw his hands up in the air and wailed, "Haven't I suffered enough?!"
The man continued to punch the air, as if fighting an invisible opponent. He grunted and panted, his eyes wild and unfocused.
He looked like a madman, flailing around in front of Vance, who sat there with a bemused expression on his face. He raised an eyebrow, wondering if he should call for help or just order for some popcorn and enjoy the show.
[System has detected slight amnesia in the host's brain. System is taking action and destroying the target named amnesia]
"Huh?" Vance heard the voice again but this time, it was talking about destroying something. "Why did it sound so vile?"
[WARNING: System has detected a virus called amnesia. Engaging anti-virus protocol and deploying anti-amnesia serum. Virus will be neutralized in three... two...]
'Wait, what?!' Vance's eyes went wide as he heard the disembodied voice utter the word 'destroy.' 'Uh-oh,' he thought. 'That doesn't sound good.'
"Aarghh!" He groaned as he moved his head uncomfortably, aiming to hold his head still.
[Warning: Please do not resist. Remain calm and still as the anti-amnesia serum is administered. Side effects may include head spinning, mild dizziness, and an urge to sing show tunes. Resistance is futile.]
WTF? Show tunes?
The system's tone grew stern and demanding, but Vance was having none of it. He thrashed about like a wild animal, shaking his head and flailing his arms in protest.
"You'll never take me alive!" he shouted, his eyes darting around the room in panic.
"Eh? Should I call the doctor?" The man who had been standing nearby, trying to make sense of the situation, suddenly smacked his forehead. "Duh! Of course I should call a doctor!"
As the man rushed out of the room in search of a doctor, Vance's pain reached a crescendo. His head throbbed, cymbals crashed in his ears, and he felt lightheaded, as if he were about to faint.
"Nooo!"
In a panic, Vance clapped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the maddening cacophony of cymbals, but it was no use. The sound seemed to be coming from inside his head, reverberating through his skull like a mad metronome.
The pain was so intense that Vance couldn't bear it any longer. In a moment of desperation, he cried out, "Just end it all! Kill me! Please, make it stop!" as blood began to seep from his ears.
[Ooh? The host wants to die for the second time again?]
The system's tone was thick with sarcasm, but Vance didn't have the strength to give it a snappy comeback. All he could do was lie there, his mind a swirling maelstrom of pain and confusion.
Amidst the chaos of his throbbing head, Vance caught the key words from the system's message. 'Second time'... 'again'... 'die.' Did that mean this was his second life, or was it some kind of cruel joke?
He struggled to focus, his thoughts scattered like a deck of cards in a hurricane.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rang through Vance's head, like a thunderclap inside his skull. He felt himself falling back onto the bed, his body limp and weak.
His eyelids fluttered open, and as the pain subsided, his memories came flooding back.
"I was hit by a car?"