[ WP ] In the realm where souls reside before we 're born , everything is pretty great . There 's no poverty , no one wants for anything , everyone knows their role and purpose . It is , essentially , perfect . But that perfection is accomplished via draconian law : the only punishment is the `` birth penalty ''

You never forgot it. It was impossible. 
 
 You slowly drifted away until the feeling of touch was nothing more than an ephemeral afterthought. The sounds of everyday life were replaced by what can only be described as the dull hum of fluorescent lights. Those who wanted to take back some control closed their eyes. They got to choose the moment they left the world, until the next time. 
 
 You were aware. You could feel the despair of others around you. Time was turned on its head, spun around, and spit back out. Five minutes became fifty. One year turned to a decade. 
 
 It was meant to rehabilitate. It was deemed a perfect system. 
 
 You were born into a predetermined life. It was nothing more than blind luck. Everyone knew what was expected and how to build towards the success of society. This was the singular law. A citizen of the world's purpose was for its betterment. Speaking out and murder were punished equally severely and swiftly. 
 
 They called it the `` birth penalty.'' The soul never died. It was passed from one body to the next. Memories were scrubbed clean, yet deja vu was commonplace. It was the only punishment that existed. It was only one that was needed. The `` birth penalty'' suspended your soul between life and death, keeping it from entering your next body. 
 
 You kept your memories in this suspended state. You retained every deep-seated desire and longed for a return to world you once knew. But this longing was crushed at the realization that the life you lived was no longer yours. You would be reborn with no memory of your previous life. What you did retain was the feeling of being suspended between life and death. It was n't anything you remembered or could eloquently write about. It was a muted feeling of dread that you carried. It served as a warning to live out your life as it was decreed. 
 
 It was deemed a perfect system, until we began to remember.
