[ WP ] Humanity is semi-immortal , regenerating from violent death the next day . You died in a particularly embarrassing way , and now have to face your coworkers/schoolmates/family the following morning .

My heart hammered against my chest, begging me to turn back. *Going to work was not worth it, * it seemed to say. *Even at the risk of getting fired, you should n't go. You know the embarrassment would haunt you longer than getting fired would. * I, being a responsible adult, ignored its pleas. What was the worst thing that could happen? We were all professional adults. No one cared that much about me anyway. 
 
 And I went into the office complex and headed in a beeline towards the elevator. The elevator *dinged* and I ran in, then repeatedly pressed the close doors button— 
 
 `` *Hold the elevator! *'' a familiar voice yelled. `` *Hold it, hold it! *'' 
 
 She ran in right before the doors closed, and my worst nightmare was realized. Meghan! Oh God, have mercy! 
 
 `` Oh,'' she said, upon seeing my face. 
 
 I said nothing. 
 
 `` So it's true then,'' 
 
 `` No,'' I said, immediately regretting it. `` I mean—'' 
 
 `` I ca n't believe you tried that!'' she said, then laughed. `` Of all—'' 
 
 `` Can we change the subject?'' 
 
 The elevator dinged again... Tenth floor. I ran out towards my office, Meghan's laughter receding behind me— 
 
 And a rough hand grabbed my shoulder. Oh dear. Mister Bossman. 
 
 `` Tim, is it?'' 
 
 `` Dave,'' I said. 
 
 `` Dave Langworth?'' he asked. 
 
 I gulped and nodded. Meghan's laughter was within earshot again. My boss turned towards her, smiled, then laughed out loud as well. 
 
 `` Can you believe—'' she tried to say through her laughter. 
 
 `` No, no!'' he said. 
 
 Heart hammering. Labored breathing. Now or never. I straightened my back, and said, `` So what? Lots of people enjoy autoerotic asphyxiation!'' 
 
 They laughed all the louder. A few others had joined in. Big Bob, a heavyset man who in my ten years in office I'd never seen smile, was laughing and clapping and yelling, `` With a goddamn belt!'' He then proceeded to take off his own belt before handing it to me with a wink. `` Better be clean when I return!'' And he whirled around and walked away, guffawing all the while. 
 
 And then I woke, and realized I still had to go to work in the morning. I might get laughed at, and I might even get fired. Two days off work for masturbation—not to mention the insurance money my revival cost them—would never be forgiven or forgotten. Oh God, I'd truly fucked myself that time. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

