As Christian Grady stared at the back of the driver's seat in the back of the cop car, he reflected on his day and his life in general. Saying his day had gone terribly would be a massive understatement.

He was already suffering from near-pathological depression from his work as a plumber, but the customers were one of the worst parts of the job. His recent client had been a good example, being an old codger who was constantly standing over his shoulder giving advice. It took everything he had to be professionally polite and not scream at him that he knew how to do his job.

His partner for the job, a man named Mike, was even worse. He had gotten this job through some relationship with the boss, and while Christian was supposed to give him on-the-job training the man would run off to shirk the job whenever he thought he could get away with it. Then it was treated like it was his fault that the job took longer than planned, leading him to unpaid overtime.

When he finally finished the guy's basement drain a full two hours after he was supposed to at 9:30, he was tired off his ass. He had the old codger grumpily sign off on the work while the old man constantly mumbled about a "piss-poor job", he went outside and found Mike sitting on the hood of the work truck playing on his smart phone like it was the most normal thing in the world. Christian felt something snap in his reason. He put the papers and tools in the truck without Mike even noticing he was there or helping.

Then Christian walked up and socked the guy in the face while Mike was still absorbed in the phone. What could he say? Frustration had long since passed the boiling point, and some people just deserve it. What followed was a beatdown that would definitely get him fired, but nice peaceful thoughts like "It's not worth it" and "I'll just quit" deserted him at that moment. He left Mike crying like a woman in the driveway before leaving.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He barely made it home before the cops pulled up with sirens blazing. Damn they worked fast.

"Get down on the ground with your hands behind your head!"

So he got a first-row seat to the ever-so-wonderful Michigan police reputation, in which even if you fully comply the police somehow feel the need to be complete jerkasses to assert their superiority. He was kneed in the back and had handcuffs snapped on in the most uncomfortable position they could imagine before being shoved in the back of their cruiser. Being treated like some kind of serial murderer just put a cherry on top of his experience.

*screech*

Huh?

He turned to look out the window and barely had time to widen his eyes before a cargo van overran the intersection and T-boned the cruiser he was sitting in. His last thoughts were of the door crumpling in.

Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me! Here I thought my day couldn't get worse.

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Christian woke up from a deep sleep to wide awake in a fraction of a second with a gasp like he was drowning.

Damn, a nightmare. I thought I was in a car accident.....wait? Where is this?

He looked around at surroundings that were somehow familiar yet not. Before they could place the memory though, his own body caught his attention.

What the hell? Am I still dreaming?

His hands and body were child sized, and though it had been a long time he recognized the room as one in the house his family had lived in during his time in elementary school. He pinched his arm in the age-old reality test and came away with pain.

"Christian, get up! It's your big day!!"

What?

Christian ran into the kitchen to find his mother cooking an elaborate breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Tears started welling in his eyes and for the first time in years he seriously cried. His mother had died during his time in high school from lung cancer, and his father was a better left unspoken deadbeat. Whether this was a dream or not didn't matter anymore. He went up and hugged her.

"What's the matter honey? Are you scared of your first day of school?"

"...no. I just had a nightmare and wanted to see you."

Wait, school?