[ WP ] An elderly man gets sent into his most fond memory upon death thanks to a future technology . only to start realizing his dream turns into a nightmare [ WP ]

This was it. My natural clock was preparing to tick down. The world had changed greatly since I was young and I was proud to witness it. I remember my parents' deaths were both so sudden, so out of nowhere, but now mankind had almost cheated death and knew exactly when it would rear it's ugly head in. As I prepared to lay down in these machine a monotone voice said to me `` You have 5 minutes to select a memory to take to the grave''. Eerie I thought, but at the same time I did not know that we could take our happiest time to our death and was somewhat delighted. 
 
 I lay there thinking of all the wonderful things that had blessed me. Birthdays, the birth of my kids, vacations, and my marriage all fluttered through my mind. The voice called out again, `` Say memory now''. `` The meeting of my first love'', I called out. A smile formed on my face, excited to see my wife and I first meeting and our youthful days. A sort of numbness ran through my body and almost instantly I drifted off. 
 
 My eyes opened and the sunlight warmed my skin. Had the machine tricked me? The first time my wife and I met was at a party at college. Instead I recognized my home town and I was walking down the sidewalks. From my recollection of this memory I remembered I was about 16 or 17. Being in my dazed state I looked up and saw a beautiful girl walked by. She smiled at me and simply kept on with her walk. 
 
 My mind went blank. With my vague suggestion of the meeting of my first love the machine had put me there. They had shown me who was meant for me and I had simply not at the time realized if I simply talked to this girl the life we could have had. As I still stood there on that sidewalk millions of thoughts raced through my mind. Guilt took me over at even thinking there was someone else besides my wife that I could have possibly loved. Though I also considered if that was the encountering of my first love, what could have came of that. 
 
 How different could life had been if I had pursued my soulmate? Soon, not only the question of my love consumed me, but my whole life. Doubt exploded through my head at not only this but almost every decision I could have made. How many times in my life had I not pursued what was right there and a perfect fit for me? All my life had I taken second best and if I had simply gone for a first choice where could my life had gone? While insanity introduced itself to my mind I had forgotten what was happening. 
 
 I opened my eyes and was back in that machine. Screams escaped me, `` Please let me out, give me another chance!''. The monotone voice came on again `` We hope you enjoyed, your final memory Mr.Todd, may you rest in peace''. But there was no peace. Regret and despair filled me and I desperately clawed trying to get out and redo everything. Strength escaped me and my eyes grew heavy. One little detail that escapes us can drastically change our lives. Have our lives been set up for perfection, just we miss the steps to lead us there? These were my final thoughts as my eyes closed and the life I regretted so much escaped me.
