[ WP ] You 're living the same day over and over again . Then one iteration you see someone new , someone who has n't been there previously .

My eyes opened and I turned over to see the alarm clock and its bright red digital display reading 6:59. I knew it would be. I woke up at 6:59 today every time. I stared at the clock, I could hear the seconds ticking, and right at 6:59:59 I lifted my and to hover. The alarm let out a quarter of a buzz before my hand came down and turned it off. After repeating the same routine 1,219 cycles it become so predictable that I feel as though I was time himself. 
 
 After I get dressed and ready I walked downstairs and grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry and a jug of milk from the fridge. There was just enough left for a bowl of cereal and it's was dated to expire on November 3rd. 
 
 `` I'm going to have to go to the store again in a few days,'' I snickered to myself. 
 
 As I pulled a bowl out of the cabinet a second one fell out. Instinctively my right foot came up and caught the bowl on my toe, slowing its decent to a halt before kicking it back up in the air. I caught it with my left hand, and placed it back in the cabinet. 
 
 After I poured my cereal and throw away the now empty milk jug I leaned against the kitchen island and stared at the cabinet. I remember cycle 14, when I realized that bowl was going to drop, and I could potentially prevent that. It was the first thing I was able to change. I'll have milk in the fridge again next cycle morning, and I'd have a brand new bowl next cycle if I had n't caught that one, but with that I'm reminded I have control. 
 
 The drive to work is exactly 17 minutes and 26 seconds. There are too many variables for me to make any significant change to that. I got it down to 15 minutes and 12 seconds one cycle by running a red light, but that almost killed me and I'm not positive I'll come back as easily as the milk. 
 
 I was greeted by a familiar, `` Good morning Wade,'' from Ashley, the front lobby receptionist. She's an absolutely stunning blonde with a curvaceous body and bright beautiful smile that lights up her eyes. I tried, in my moments of weakness, to get with her by carrying on conversations from cycle to cycle. I'd learn something about her one cycle and use it to my advantage the next time. With each attempt I'd be met with dismissal. If I can catch that bowl, maybe I can catch Ashley's attention too. 
 
 `` Hey there Ashley,'' I responded as I walked by, `` Oh hey! I've got a spare banana this morning, would you like one?'' I offered. She told me one cycle a long time ago that it was her favorite fruit and she ran out the day before so she did n't get one this morning. I've brought her a banana every cycle since then. Each cycle she smiles, says sure, and accepts it. 
 
 `` Sure,'' she said as she smiled and reached out for the banana. I did n't stick around that cycle. Some mornings I'd push for some conversation, 
 but the sting of rejection never got duller. 
 
 As I turned down the hallway I thought to myself, `` The elevator doors will close, regardless of how long I spend at Ashley's desk. I'll have to push the button on the door and wait 3 minutes and 14 seconds for the next elevator to come.'' 
 
 I turned and look down the hallway as the elevator doors are closing, but this time there's a figure standing in the elevator. My heart raced and the sight nearly knocked the breath out of me but I immediately took of running at this anomaly. 
 
 `` Wait! Who are you! You've never been here before!'' I shouted as I ran full speed to the elevator. The doors closed right as I slammed into them. 
 
 `` Ashley! Ashley, who is that guy!? Did he sign in with you!?'' I shouted back at the front desk. 
 
 `` Sorta, he said he was a repair man here to fix something.'' Ashley responded perplexed. 
 
 I watched the number display of the elevator, `` if it follows routine it will stop on floor 7 before coming back down for me,'' I mumbled to myself It did n't though! It cruisesed right past seven without even slowing down before stopping on thirteen. 
 
 `` Ashley, dumb question, but what's on the thirteenth floor?'' 
 
 `` What? We only have 12 floors. Do n't you know that?'' 
 
 I did know that. I took off sprinting for the stairs and ran up them as fast as I could. I was sure that when I hit the twelfth floor I was going to run nose first into a concrete wall, but I do n't. There was another set of stairs that lead to a thirteenth floor. 
 
 I slowly approached the door of the thirteenth floor. Through the cracks around it I could see light illuminating from behind and a pacing shadow. I gently pushed on the bar of the door and guided it open. Inside I found a large empty floor space. There was white tile from end to end and no obstructions to block you from seeing out of the all glass walls. No obstructions except for the lone person standing in the middle of the floor. A shorter female looking build cloaked by a black hooded sweater a few sizes too big. Her hood is up and the light, whose source I still have n't identified, is casting a shadow blocking me from seeing her. 
 
 `` Who are you?'' I demand. `` I've been here 1219 times over 1219 cycles. I've seen the same things, had the same conversations, and experienced the same hell 1219 times. You've never been there before, and damn it I want to know who the hell you are right now.'' 
 
 The figure slowly lifted its hand to its hood and pushed it back. 
 
 `` Ashley?'' I exhaled. `` How? I was just talking do you downstairs.'' 
 
 `` No Wade, you just think you were! It's part of this setup. You told me, you showed me and convinced me!'' 
 
 `` What are you talking about?'' I questioned. I did n't recall ever telling her I was stuck repeating the same day over and over. 
 
 `` Listen! You showed me this yesterday! You stood at my desk and predicted the traffic outside and the people that would walk by. You explained the whole story to me about how you've been trapped in cycles. You begged me to help you. You told me that you thought if I could stay awake I could see it for myself. You told me if I could do that I might be able to come up with a way to help you.'' 
 
 `` What? This is crazy, I do n't remember any of that.'' 
 
 `` Wade, this is n't cycle 1219 either.'' she said disappointed. 
 
 `` What cycle is it?'' 
 
 `` Wade, it's number 4188. You tried over and over again to get me to see, and to convince me, and to solve this riddle. You told me all about it, but last night was different. Last night you told me to try staying awake the whole night to see what happened, and I did. I stayed in the hotel room like you said, and I watched the sunrise, and then I watched myself leave and drive to work. I watched you enter like you always do, and I watched you give me that banana you told me about. I got in the elevator, just like you said, because you knew you'd be watching that. I pressed for floor thirteen, just like you knew would be there.'' 
 
 `` I do n't understand,'' I cried. `` I do n't remember almost three thousand cycles! How is that possible? I remember every time I've come in and given you that banana and every time you rejected me.'' 
 
 `` No, last night was different, do n't you see? Every other time, you've repeated everything, but on cycle 1219 you convinced me to go out with you. After a few drinks you told me about being stuck on repeat, and proved it to me. You picked the lottery numbers and predicted the news anchor would sneeze on camera. You convinced me there was something wrong. Once you opened my eyes to it, it started happening to me too. We have been working together for over 2000 days to figure this out. Last night though, we finally gave up. We decided to try killing ourselves to stop this madness and try to make it end. We figured if it worked we were free and if not we'd wake up again tomorrow. You did it. You shot yourself, but I did n't! I could n't!. I held you in my arms, watched you die, and then cried myself to sleep hoping you were finally free.'' 
 
 `` So why did I wake up in my bed today? Why am I here now?'' I blasted. 
 
 `` I do n't know. When I woke up this morning you had vanished. I came here, just the way I did the first time, and found you going through the routine. It's like you killing yourself reset you back to before you told me.'' she cried. She reached her hand into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a silver pistol. She took aim at my head. 
 
 `` What are you doing?'' I pleaded. 
 
 `` I'm fixing it! I think I figured it out! You ca n't get yourself out of this Wade. I have to do it for you. In order for you to be free, I have to choose to take over for you.'' 
 
 `` Ashley, No!'' 
 
 The bang echoed through the empty space. 
 
 Ashley watched as Wade's body fell limp and hit the floor. She passed out. 
 
 My eyes opened and I turned over to see the alarm clock and its bright red digital display reading 6:29. It rang at 6:30 just like it did every time. I got up, got ready, and went downstairs. I threw away the only, now rotten, banana that I had. `` You got ta go to the grocery store tomorrow Ashley,'' I thought to myself.
