[Day 0: Earth]

Its 4:47, I have thirteen minutes left on shift, this is box number three hundred and forty-four. I would love to get it up to three-fifty. Six boxes, ten minutes. I can do this, get a nice round number on there.

I speed up a little, my fingers nimbly remove the label from the large roll, slap it firmly on the plastic wrapped bottles, and place them in the cardboard box. I wiggle them slightly so they take up less space.

I barely even pay attention to what my hands are doing, work is so much better when I can just step back and disassociate from it. Do I even know what I am packing?

Looking at the label, I see a string of letters, I focus on the important ones.

Acne cream, I could have used this in high school.

I continue packing for a few minutes, occasionally finishing a box and closing it, sending it further down the conveyor.

A tearing sound brings me to attention, I had grabbed a label wrong and had torn it nearly in half.

Aww dang... This may still be salvageable though. Gently, lets line it up, slowly, slowly. There, No need to worry, not even quality control will notice.

The line stops suddenly, and a quick look at the clock confirms my suspicion. I check the box number and grimace. I quickly look around, then grab a few containers from further up the line and close the box. I walk over to the paperwork table and smile as I start filling out my report.

A blink and I am approaching my door, the drive home so boring and routine that it doesn't even register in my memory.

I open my door and furred black shape winds affectionately around my legs before darting to the food bowl, looking at me expectantly.

Aww hes so adorable when hes hungry, Ill give him a double serving tomorrow morning!

“My apologies for the delay, your lowly servant will serve you now” I grin as I grab a can of tuna from from the cupboard. Popping the tab, I dump the contents into the food bowl and then throw the can into the recycling. Sheriff immediately starts devouring the smelly tuna and I laugh, booping him on the head.

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I should get something to eat as well… The spaghetti from last night will be delicious!

I unwrap last nights leftovers and put them in the microwave, poke it a couple times and plop myself down on the couch. I turn my laptop on and start up Netflix.

This sucks, I’ve seen everything good on here, I guess I can rewatch something or other…

Something sharp hits my side and I am awake instantly. Pain explodes from my stomach and I curl into a ball. I can hear laughing somewhere nearby. My sudden intake of breath is thick with dirt.

AAhhhhh what the fuuucckk

I take some steady breaths and push myself into a stumbling rise. The ground beneath my feet is hard and cold.

Those kids over there laughing, I bet they kicked me. Ill fucking rip em a new one, Fucking teach them a lesson…

My anger fizzles as I realise I am not in my bed, or my bedroom. I look around in bewilderment.

This looks like some shantytown from a movie, where the hell am I? Did I get drugged or something?

I pat my belly to make sure I still had my liver, and It comes to my attention that I am naked. One of the street kids, a skinny boy, pokes a larger kid, and says something. They all burst into laughter again.

Hardy har har

I don’t bother covering myself, its the least of my worries. The larger boy walks up to me and taunts me in a language I don’t understand. It sounds kind of like french.

He sneers when I look confused and aims a kick at me. Its terribly clumsy and I react without thinking.

I grab his leg and pull it up. He predictably loses his balance and flails before falling on his ass. He scrambles back, words spilling from his mouth that transcend language in their foulness. I teach him some foul words of my own and they all scamper away.

< Skill [Naked Combat] Unlocked! >

The words appear in my mind abruptly, and it hits me just how far from home I probably am.

Who’s going to feed Sheriff!