(transition:"slide-right")[It's a typical Thursday night. You almost died. Nothings changed except for the fact that your life flashed before your eyes. You flipped a crazy driver off and if anyone asked, he deserved it. But you can't shake off what your eulogy would say.
//More exciting things happened to everyone else than this uptight no-lifer. Worst regards. Don't waste a tear.//]
(click-append:"tear")
[.
If you were to die today, what are the things that you would regret not doing?
A. Doing something bad.
B. Traveling to another country on the whim.
C. Riding a rollercoaster ride or bungee jumping.
D. Making an impact in someone's life.
E. All the above and then some.
After that night, you tell yourself you're going to get a life]
(click-append:"a life.")
[
[[A. READY TO GET A LIFE!]]
[[B. CONTINUE ON LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED!]]
<center>[[REFERENCES]]</center>]
(transition:"slide-right")[Okay, nobody is here for this idea. It was good in theory, but no family member or co-worker is here for this impromptu test of joy. They take risks, but not that kind of risk.
After two days of trying, you take a deep breath and come to terms that at least you're not tempting death just yet.
Rollercoaster riding it is, or is it?]
(click-append:"or is it?")
[
[[A. GO ON THE NEW ROLLERCOASTER RIDE!]]
[[B. THE NEXT BEST THING!]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[That's right, keep that spirit alive. The eulogy has nothing on you now! The 1000 ft new ride is all anybody can talk about recently. You're no chicken, so you ask someone to tag along. Who will you ask?]
(click-append:"ask?")
[
[[A. YOUR COUSIN BEN WHO HAS BEEN THERE THROUGH THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND EVERYTHING BANNED IN YOUR MEMORIES!]]
[[B. YOUR CO-WORKER TAYLOR WHO MAKES YOUR WORK LIFE BEARABLE!]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[First things first, suck it up and be brave. No, for real, your life almost ended. The list was created for a reason. Think of the eulogy.]
(click-append:"eulogy.")
[
Worst Regards will never sound right (nods head in agreement). You can always challenge your sense of security by facing your fear of heights.
Okay, let's not face this irrational fear alone. Now that would be //stupid//. Who would be there to collect your belongings if you were to pass out or die? (Coughs in embarrassment).
Eeny meany miny moe, catch a heartache in your throat if you want to live your life, then grow a pair or let it go...]
(click-append:"go...")
[
[[A. GO BUNGEE JUMPING!]]
[[B. GO ON THE NEW ROLLERCOASTER RIDE!]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Sadly, you live a life full of regrets. You die old, alone, and nobody is present for your funeral. Okay, these are lies, but it doesn't get any better from here.]
(click-append:"here.")
[
Life goes on. You go home. You go to work, and the cycle repeats itself for another three years.
One day you're asked something out of the blue.
You reply that "you don't have any regrets," but an emptiness eats at you.
[[IT MUST BE A MID-LIFE CRISIS.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[The 1000 ft new ride drop is all anybody can talk about recently. You don't want to chicken out, so who do you ask to come on this journey with you?
[[A. YOUR COUSIN BEN WHO HAS BEEN THERE THROUGH THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND EVERYTHING BANNED IN YOUR MEMORIES!]]
[[B. YOUR CO-WORKER TAYLOR WHO MAKES YOUR WORK LIFE BEARABLE!]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[You won't build yourself to go alone, and nothing is crossed off your list yet! But you grow a pair like two months later, a pair.
Ziplining it is!]
(click-append:"it is!")
[
How do you go from rollercoaster riding to bungee jumping to zip lining?
Apparently, nobody knows, but it's the love of the thrill for you, or is it the love to be thrilled? Because we all know. This apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In this case, the tree is structure, rules, and regulations.
[[Nothing is impromptu for you.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Your cousin Ben has been there through thick and thin, and everything notably embarrassing about your life...
So ba da bing ba da boom, you guys are at the amusement park, and you wished it wasn't on the list, but somehow you build enough nerve while you waited in line.]
(click-append:"line.")
[
Everything's fine on the ride. Your heart's racing and your throat is getting sore from all the yelling and once the ride ended.
You feel an unexpected breeze from your head that you didn't feel before when the ride started. Your headpiece flew off during the drop, and Ben will not let you live!
The first thought that comes to mind.]
(click-append:"mind.")
[
[[A. IF BLOOD WASN'T THICKER THAN WATER!]]
[[B. IF EMBARRASSMENT WAS YOUR MIDDLE NAME!]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Ben saved your reaction to the memories on their phone.
The hairpiece is back on, but you placed your hoodie on top of your head to stop the feeling of paranoia that has crept in.
However, every time you walk around the park. You can't help but pat your head like the hoodie is still not up.]
(click-append:"up.")
[
It's an irrational fear, but you're a bit too traumatized to enjoy anything else, so you're ready to leave the park.
Ben begged you to stay for another ride, and right after, you agree. Ben brought up the entire incident again. Ain't no furie like a familial bond that went [[haywired.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Dejected, you stop trying to find the hair piece and exit the park with Ben's laughter following behind you.
Ben recorded your reaction and shared it on social media.
The video goes viral over the weekend. Everyone who watched it and recognized you teases you about it to your dismay.]
(click-append:"dismay.")
[
After one week, you gather what's left of your confidence and are ready to do another task on the list...]
(click-append:"list...")
[
//Here's the ~~unfortunate~~ list to get a life://
A. Doing something bad.
B. Traveling to another country on the whim.
~~C. Riding a rollercoaster ride or bungee jumping.~~
D. Making an impact in someone's life.
E. All the above and then some.
[[NEXT ON LIST.|DO SOMETHING BAD]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[After the ride, as you're exiting, the attendant asks, //"are you okay?"//
You respond, //"it was just a water bottle."//
Taylor replies, //"we all know that you peed on yourself."//
[[YOU LAUGH YOUR EMBARRASSMENT AWAY.|B. LAUGHING NERVOUSLY]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[You act like what Taylor said doesn't bother you at first, but all jokes aside, you are appalled. And who wouldn't be, right?
You could have died twice, and Taylor did not care one bit. The audacity!
You learned that this will be the last time you would ask Taylor to aid in your near death experience because you have an incline that this mission will not be the last of your lifetime.]
(click-append:"lifetime.")
[
You would cut all ties with Taylor after that night, but you can't. You're petty, but not that petty. Okay, that's a lie!
But here's the thing you're a hypocrite who needs a work buddy to survive, so the following week, after brooding in your self hate. You decide to complete another task on the list because you made it this far for a reason.]
(click-append:"reason.")
[
//Here's the ~~unfortunate~~ list to get a life://
A. Doing something bad.
B. Traveling to another country on a whim.
~~C. Riding a rollercoaster ride or bungee jumping.~~
D. Making an impact in someone's life.
E. All the above and then some.
You decide that doing something bad can be a good thing. Who doesn't secretly like being bad deep down? Okay... that kind of sounds like a kink annnnd let's not go there. You plan to do something bad that you like deep down.]
(click-append:"down.")
[Then boom, one day you're minding your business and receive a call from your Mom. You talked to her twice already. That's a lot of communication in one day.
She literally has revoked someone else's privilege from having the prime time to converse with you today. After an aggravated sigh, you think of your last option on your New Year's resolution, which was to be an attentive child, so although you're annoyed, you answer the call, and after the conversation ends on your side.
Your side being that you vividly tell her that your signal is low and before she can respond. Bam! You had already press airplane mode. Because you were as attentive as you could on the first two calls, how much energy should she drain from you?
Then you go back to watching TV with a smile on your face because why not? At least you're happy. You got up to get a snack and realized you're on a roll.
Mentally you start to off letter A on your list.]
(click-append:"list.")
[
//Here's the ~~unfortunate~~ list to get a life://
~~A. Doing something bad.~~
B. Traveling to another country on a whim.
~~C. Riding a rollercoaster ride or bungee jumping.~~
D. Making an impact in someone's life.
E. All the above and then some.
It's the weekend. The perfect opportunity to catch up on adulting such as...
* A good workout and no walk!
* Eat clean, no fast food for one meal!
* Shower, then take a bath because that's the only way to do it!
* Pay a bill on time!
* Catch up on shows!
//Your Mom would like to add a grandchild on top of it, but you're too broke to care.//
It's 4pm. You did everything on the list except workout. These are the times that you wished that you had a dog to walk. It would be the boost you need. But a pet would mean high maintenance, and that's for the birds at the moment, so [[a walk it is.|A. A WALK AROUND THE AREA.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Taylor proclaims "that this is the last time I tell someone to let loose and scares me in the process. You continue to laugh it off but secretly die inside.
Everything goes back to normal in your life. Still adulting through life. And then boom, one wicked Friday, you have the audacity to go out drinking with some co-workers. Taylor invited their roomate, and you two quickly hit it off.]
(click-append:"off.")
[
The following day you walk back to your apartment, but not without the disapproving looks from Taylor once you exit their apartment. Later at your apartment, your mom visits. You get a call from Ben. Not feeling very pleasant after a few minutes, you tell her you're losing signal and press airplane mode.
Your mom accuses you of doing this to her. You deny as she shakes her head in disappointment.
She tells you...]
(click-append:"you...")
[And you call yourself an adult!
She leaves, and you feel a tiny bit ashamed, but the feeling of peace overcomes it.
It's Sunday, you decide to be a productive human being
and go for...
[[A. A WALK AROUND THE AREA.]]
[[B. TO GET THE MAIL.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[After the ride, the attendant asks, "are you alright? We saw from the footage that you passed out?"
Taylor responds by saying, "there's nothing wrong with this scaredy cat."
You respond by]
(click-append:"respond by")
[
[[A. ACTING UNBOTHERED]]
[[B. LAUGHING NERVOUSLY]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Taylor edges you to have fun every weekend and makes your work life easy.
At the amuesment park all things start off well. Your seated back, the seatbelts are fastened, your hands and feet are inside the ride. The rides move up to the top. You're screaming your lungs off. It's terrifying and blissful all simultaneously, and then boom before the rides move to be dropped. ]
(click-append:"dropped.")
[
The ride is stuck. The rollercoaster operator tells everyone to remain calm. The issue will be fixed momentarily.
During the ride.]
(click-append:"During the ride.")
[
[[A. YOU PASSED OUT!]]
[[B. YOU TRY NOT TO PASS OUT!]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[After ten minutes, you had enough. The humidity is enough to make you call it quits. You won't ever understand how people actively decide to go outside like how? Who has had the will to subject themselves to that torture?
Okay, maybe you're exaggerating a little because although you're suffered from the heat. You felt a bit accomplished, like you did something!]
(click-append:"something!")
[
And on your way back to your apartment, you bumped into a child throwing a temper tantrum at their mom. You shake your head and sigh internally, thankful that you don't have any kids!
But little did you know how much this kid would affect your life?
And that's why you should always think twice before you're nice. Because Santa Claus set you back your entire life. It's not Christmas, but a good deed is punishment enough. You just had to smile and add your little two cents that day.]
(click-append:"that day.")
[[[WHAT HAPPENED?|BECOMING A MENTOR]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[After getting your mail, you bump into a kid outside the mailroom.
You tell them to stop running, and they proclaim that you are not the boss of them and runoff, but not before sticking their tongue out at you.
You shake your head and make a mental wish that this was a kid-free apartment.]
(click-append:"kid-free apartment")
[[[..|BECOMING A MENTOR]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Ben continues to laugh at you when they stare at your head.]
(click-append:"head.")
[
You leave humiliated and keep your phone on //do not disturb// for a week.
One day, your mom visits. You get a call from Ben while she's in the kitchen, momifying. She does some things such as cleaning up your decent place and nagging about every step of the way.
The call with Ben is going on too long, and you're not feeling sociable, so you tell her you're losing signal and proceed to press airplane mode after a few minutes when the call seemed like it wasn't going to end anytime soon.
Your Mom pops up behind you in a pit of rage.
She accused you of doing this to her as well. But you denied it like your life depended on it. After a couple of minutes, she shakes her head in disappointment.
She tells you...]
(click-append:"you...")
[
In life, you will need people. If you don't want to talk, just say that!
And you claim to be an adult!
Unashamed, you reply, //"anything for my mental health."//
She leaves bewildered.
You feel a tiny bit ashamed, but the feeling of peace overshadows it.
Anything for peace. Am I right or am I right?]
(click-append:"right?")
[
It's a Sunday afternoon, you decide to be a productive human being and...
[[A. GO FOR A WALK AROUND THE AREA.]]
[[B. FINALLY, GET YOUR MAIL AFTER A WEEK. ]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Besides the list, you gotta be a productive human being. What's adulting without trying to cram being fit onto the list?
On the walk...
But you learn the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished!
[[BE A DECENT HUMAN BEING.|BECOMING A MENTOR]]
[[START A NEW LIFE SKILL|COOKING]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[After bickering with the kid on-and-off for a week, you decide that you're the only positive influence in their life. The kid's name is Brian, but the kid sounds perfect to you.
Day by day, you noticed that the kid has charm, and it is hard to admit, but it grew on you after sometime. You would never admit it aloud. But based on the reputation of //Brians!// You're not surprised that he's a mouthful.]
(click-append:"mouthful.")
[
So every time you two come across each other during your mental walks. You see them at the playground. It's apparent that your mental walks are also when Brian's Mom can breathe.
One day the kid's mom is frantic and begs you to watch Brian for a few minutes while she rushes off to turn off the stove. Against the kid's protest, you agree. Because that's what any good ole neighbor would do.
If only you had known that little timeframe opened the door for Brian's Mom to had asked a [[humongous favor of the gods and celestial beings.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[The duo leaves and Brian asked, what's the meaning of life? And you couldn't answer right away because you don't know.
After two minutes you realized that kids can be more intelligent than adults and their noisy AF like shouldn't he be in lala land and not paying attention to adult conversations.
And then you end up questioning your entire life's existence again.]
(click-append:"existence again.")
[
You reevaluate the list.
//Here's the ~~unfortunate~~ list to get a life://
~~A. Doing something bad.~~
B. Traveling to another country on the whim.
~~C. Riding a rollercoaster ride or bungee jumping.~~
~~D. Making an impact in someone's life.~~~~(or that someone makes an impact on you)~~
E. All the above and then some.
You tell Brian you would only be able to answer that question later on when you figured it out, but you never did.]
(click-append:"never did.")
[
<center>THE END</center>
<center>[[START OVER|START]]</center>
<center>[[REFERENCES]]</center>]
(transition:"slide-right")[You're a failer. It takes a week for you to get mail and you know the bills were piling up. Sadly, you always leave the essential things for last, but who would be in a rush to grab the mail? All you have ever received is bills, bills and credit card offers. Just awesome. How much more in debt do you need to be?
You may forget to pay your phone bill on time every month but at least you finally achieved something.]
(click-append:"achieved something")
[
You finally got two things crossed off on the list.
//Here's the ~~unfortunate~~ list to get a life://
~~A. Doing something bad.~~
~~C. Riding a rollercoaster ride or bungee jumping.~~
It's time that you gained some new life skills.]
(click-append:"skills.")
[
What did you decide to do?
[[AGREE TO BABYSIT.|BECOMING A MENTOR]]
[[TRY A NEW LIFE SKILL.|COOKING]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[ Until one unfortunate night, you leave the house for a midnight snack, and a truck ends up running a red light, and you end up crashing into a light pole.
The last thing that came to your mind is that "this is how you die."
A sad life with not much to show. Your life did not flash much before your eyes. It flashed only regret.]
(click-append:"only regret.")
[
Your final prayer was to get another chance, but nooooo you die.
Let's add on to the fact that you die a painful death, and then your soul suffers for all eternity. Who wants to suffer from a restless soul? Apparently, you do because that time is spent on what could've been.]
(click-append:"been.")
[
Now, if you're going to be damned for all eternity. It would have been great to be a semi-decent human being by living your life to the fullest than just by playing it safe, but nooooo your a wimp, and guess what? Wimps never win!
They just suffer in silence (coughs), as did your soul.
[[START OVER.|NEW LIFE]]
]
(transition:"slide-right")[Look at you. You want to start over, but it's a wrap. Better luck next time if you ever get the opportunity to be reincarnated again and if you do. You better hope not to be a wimp who never escaped out of their comfort zone.]
[[BE SMART|START]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Inspired by the romance novel //Get a Life Chloe Brown// by Talia Hibbert and the TV show //Everybody Hates Chris.//
[[BACK TO START.|START]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Ben must not have taken your murderous glare seriously because, at this moment, Ben challenged your sense of freedom by baiting to share this minor incident with others.
And then your college degrees and unwarranted student loans could not keep you grounded because all of a sudden, you're ready for life without parole, but you sigh because that life is not you. Something resonated deep inside your soul that you loved your freedom. And then you mentally chant a few times, "I want to take a dump in peace," and to be honest, who wouldn't?]
(click-append:"wouldn't?")
[
Ben continues to laugh like she's dying when you tighten the hoodie on your head.
You end up leaving the park humiliated and keep your phone on //do not disturb// for a week.
[[NEXT ON THE LIST|DO SOMETHING BAD]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[You request PTO for two days. The first day was to get some nerve and live a little, and the second day, you actually went.
Ain't that something!
There are two guides for a group of five. One by one, every individual who paid for this zip line session has participated. Until you're the last one left, but you never test your luck.]
(click-append:"luck.")
[
You try to talk it out and concentrate on your breathing, but it doesn't work out. Why, you asked?
Because a panic attack started. You swallow what's left of your courage and accept that Bungee jumping and Zip lining is not for you. Not everything is suitable for everyone.
So you will try the rollercoaster ride as the last resort. If you're not able to, you definitely failed at life, and who wants to fail at life? Exactly, no one.
[[DECIDE AGAIN.|A. GO ON THE NEW ROLLERCOASTER RIDE!]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[So you stormed toward the exit, and Ben followed behind, but not without a threat of violence exuding from you.
It was pretty bad because Ben somehow unlocked the sickest part of your "intact emotions" that would usually be locked inside to the darkest part of your soul, but tonight. And only tonight, for some reason unknown to man, you're ready to go to [[prison.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[First things first, that's why you don't judge. You can count on both hands how many things you know how to cook, and yes, that includes spaghetti, white rice, boiled eggs, fried eggs, and a grilled cheese sandwich. If you want to add another, then that includes bacon.]
(click-append:"bacon.")
[
Okay, it's understandable that's not a lot compared to your Mom, but it's better than what your cousin Michael can do. Who, by the way, turned boiled spaghetti into mush like who does that?
Alright, back to the task on hand, cooking. If you master a new dish, that would be a game changer.
It's not your favorite thing in the world, but it would do. You're skilled enough to have survived this far, so you decide on something [[small.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[You search the world wide web and come across the idea to make Guac, like who doesn't like Guacamole? Ignore that. Some individuals don't count them as human beings because if you're honest, who else would? (whispers) No one, not even aliens.
]
(click-append:"aliens.")
[
After some research, alright, after you checked one web page, you got a burst of energy to do what hasn't been done. Homemade guac in your apartment.]
(click-append:"apartment.")
[
The energy is almost cut short when you realize that you only did two things out of the list. You shopped at a local grocery store and added more tortilla chips to the basket in the spur of the moment.
Soon you're back home to make some magic.]
(click-append:"magic.")
[
//the splendid list of all things guac//
1. You got a good guac that is riped.
2. You cut the guac like a champ.
3. Then, you added some chopped cilantro, minced garlic, and onions.
4. Finally, you add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few sprinkled fingers of salt.
Bam! You're done. The mission has been accomplished! You used a fork to mash and stir the ingredients together.
After you warmed your hands together [[you taste the masterpiece.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[It's alright. It's just not as good as you had hoped, but you mellow through.
After a couple semi-mushed bites, you realized that the avocado wasn't as riped as you had thought. Better luck next week because your Mom didn't raise a punk.
Your ego dropped a bit because an easy thing to whip up is not as easy as everyone would think. Why? Because there's an art to picking fruits!]
(click-append:"fruits!")
[
Yes, avocados are fruits. You relearn something new every decade because you are pretty sure you learned this bit before.
And after eating the rest of the tortilla chips with the leftover salsa sauce. You're interrupted by a knock on the front door.
It's Brians Mom with Brian in tow, to your dismay.
[[THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION|humongous favor of the gods and celestial beings.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Mentally, you thought it through a few seconds and knew that she knew your schedule already by now. Okay, in all honesty, the real kicker was how torn up she's been looking lately.
Every single afternoon she looked like a beat-up... Don't finish that thought.]
(click-append:"thought.")
[
So the point is, how can you say no to babysitting Brian for a few hours a day a couple times a week when she's doing all she can to make ends meet?
Ain't that crazy, though!
You're more open to babysitting a stranger's child than your own family.
But the truth isn't that hard to swallow as you think of all the good you're doing to the world.
But deep down, you wanted to be selfish, like why feel guilty for saying no.
Like... You're doing your duty as a good citizen. What else can go right?]
(click-append:"go right?")
[
Then a couple of weeks passed by, and you forget that Ben and your Mom were stopping by on a Saturday afternoon. Their forgotten visit made you a subject to their [[unending inquiry.]]]
(transition:"slide-right")[Instead of them siked out and interested about your developed skills sociably. They had the audacity to asked when did you stop being selfish?
Like when have you ever been selfish?]
(click-append:"been selfish?")
[
(blows rasberries in disbelief)
You're flaggerblasted, you had half a heart to not go to the next level with that uncalled for question, but you recalled, who they call your Grandma Ceceila.]
(click-append:"Ceceila.")
[
Ceceila the queen of pettiness.
In a classy manner you admit ever so gently to your Mom that you almost died three months ago and have worked hard so that the rest of your life will have meaning.
The look on your Moms face said she had enough of your BS because she doesn't know who made you, which is wild because she did.
[[NEXT|GAME COMPLETED]]]