[ WP ] You live in a world where people can hire someone else to experience/live through an unpleasant time in their life , be it a dentist appointment or the loss of a loved one .

A root canal. A beloved mother ’ s funeral. A restorative justice session with a drink-driving victim ’ s family. And, at the end of the day, a paycheck. 
 
 Connor left the exterfac centre, shoulders heavy. This wasn ’ t the life he had wanted as a child, back when he dreamed of joining the police and helping people in need. Yes, he was helping people in a way, but it took a heavy toll. Every day he dealt with people destroyed and experienced pain meant for others. 
 
 “ Filthy exty, ” slurred a hobbling drunk as he walked out of the foyer. “ Get a real job. ” 
 
 Connor knew the man was right. This wasn ’ t real work, it was fake. In every sense of the word, it was a forgery. Because of him, people with money had a loophole to get them out of facing consequences. Because of him, people with money forgot what pain was like. Because of him, their edges dulled and the world suffered. They spent their lives in blissful ignorance, while the lowest in society suffered quite literally on their behalf. 
 
 The money was good, really good. You could buy your way out of the gutters, but was it worth it? 
 
 He walked through his front door into his small, single-room apartment, slumped onto his musty couch and flicked on the TV. 
 
 “ If you ’ re just tuning in now- ” and he fell asleep. 
 
 He awoke in a sweat. He had been dreaming again, a distorted cacophony of suffering and agony. He kept seeing the faces of people whose places he took, but they were blurry. He could tell they were laughing, but he never knew what they were laughing at. Perhaps the irony of their existence. 
 
 “ Stay away from the windows. ” 
 
 He blinked at the TV. Usually there were shitty cartoons blaring by now, welcoming kids home from school. 
 
 “ Block your doors. ” 
 
 He blinked again, the blurriness of his rest slowly slipping away. 
 
 “ If you have a bunker, get in as soon as possible. This could be it. ” 
 
 Connor was now fully alert. The woman on the TV was in tears. What was happening? 
 
 And then the phone rang. He hit the mute button on the TV remote, picked up the phone, and watched the silent screen. 
 
 “ Hello? ” 
 
 He could see a new image on the screen. CGI of a massive rock, kilometers across, streaking towards earth in an almost comical fashion. He felt a strange calmness come over him. 
 
 “ Yeah, hi Connor, it ’ s Scott. I need you to plug in, now. ” 
 
 “ You know I don ’ t do after-hour bookings Scott. What ’ s going on?'' 
 
 “ What? You mean you ’ re not seeing this? Look, I don ’ t care, I ’ ll give you whatever you want. I don ’ t want to deal with this, I can ’ t deal with this. I need you to plug in now. ” 
 
 Connor hung up the phone. 
 
 It rung again, a different number this time. 
 
 He ignored it, and went back to sleep. The faces appeared, but different this time, and the dream was over almost as soon as it began.
