Back to Back (Hoodoo-Voodoo Time Loop) (Hiatus)

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Chapter 1: Man Out Of Time
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>you're Anon Anonson
>average man in every way
>average looks
>average height
>job that eats away at your soul
>itsaliving.bmp
>the sheets and pillows stick to you when you finally get out of bed
>the alarm clock blared with it's red numbers
>4:30 AM
>fucking christ was it early
>head to your kitchen and look through the cupboards
>take out the box of offbrand cornflakes and pour a bowlful of them
>open up the milk from the fridge and smell it
>completely rancid
>place it back into the fridge and go to the sink
>turn the sink tap on
>nothing comes out
>sit down at the table with your milkless cornflakes and a glass full of nothing
>slowly eat the cereal while waking up
>the clock on the table reads 4:53 AM
>place your spoon into the dry bowl and slip your light jacket on
>out to the bus stop you go
>the one upside to living in this shithole of a neighborhood was being right down the street from a bus stop
>walk down the street and see the bus you were supposed to be on going past you
>earlier than normal
>shout all manner of obscenities at the bus driver while he passes
>stand at the stop for the next bus thirty minutes later
>if you could afford a car you would
>if you could afford actual Cheeky-O's you would buy that too
>if only
>eventually the next bus came around
>you hop on and use your 30 day pass
>sit down somewhere near the back
>earphones in
>and relaxation commences
>the ride to work passed in what felt like moments when you listened to your favorite band
>they were great
>get off the bus before a dog anthro got on
>you swear you knew who that was
>just shake your head and walk towards the employee entrance of the factory
>clock in
>back to the headrests

>stuck
>stuck in a place you abhor
>11 hour shifts from 6 AM to 5 PM every single day
>no days off
>you needed the money after all
>the bills won't pay themselves
>"Anon, if you fuck up again you're fired!"
>your boss, an anthro cat of some sort, was yelling at you from behind
>nod and get back to work

>5 PM and you clock out
>back on the bus and back to your hovel
>great, full of loud assholes blaring music
>when you get off the bus you see that same anthro from this morning
>a closer look netted you with an answer
>this girl was in your college classes before you dropped out
>give a quick nod and head back home
>through the door and straight to the fridge
>no soda
>purple drink
>a nearly empty 2-liter of Sunny D
>grab the Sunny D and down it
>throw the bottle across the room into the recycling bin
>back to the fridge
>the expired milk was still in there
>about half a sandwich's worth of lunch meat
>no cheese
>some ketchup on the door shelf
>take the meat and ketchup
>open up the breadbox to find a single slice of bread
>the butt of the bread
>welp
>put the meat and ketchup on the bread
>eat it for your dinner
>head to your bedroom and grab your laptop
>back to the vietnamese rice farming boards that kept you around
>for some reason it always pulled you back
>from the first day you discovered it nearly a decade ago to now, it keeps you going
>maybe the thought of other people in depressing situations brought you comfort
>something to tell you you're not alone in sorrow
>shitpost on your favorite boards
>see a general you frequent
>______ General #101, ______ Edition
>do a little posting
>close the laptop's lid and look at the time
>10:00 PM
>head into your room and fall asleep in a few minutes

---

>the sheets and pillows stick to you when you finally get out of bed
>the alarm clock blared with it's red numbers
>4:30 AM
>fucking christ was it early
>throw the pillows onto the bed and head out into the kitchen
>take the off brand cornflakes from the cupboard and toss them onto the table
>the milk in the fridge was expired so you can't use that
>try to get a glass of water
>none comes out
>this building's plumbing was less than adequate
>never seemed to work when it was supposed to
>sit at your table and eat your bowl of dry cornflakes
>clock on the table shows 4:54 AM
>drop your spoon into the bowl and head outside to the bus stop
>the moment you step out of the front door the bus flies by
>shout every swear that came to mind towards the early bus
>wait for the next bus that comes thirty minutes later
>use your 30 day pass when it finally got there
>earphones in
>blaring your favorite band on shuffle
>before you know it you're pulling the signal line to stop
>hop off and head into the employee's entrance
>clock in
>those headrests will be the death of you

>this job would be better if it wasn't just headrests
>something, anything to break up the monotony of the same task over and over
>it pays the bills at least
>barely, but it does
>"Anon, if you fuck up again you're fired!"
>your boss, a black haired cat with a penchant for riding people harder than needed, yelled at you from behind
>eye twitches
>nod and get back to work

>5 PM couldn't have come any sooner
>it was like you were a kid in a candy store
>brimming with excitement to get home
>in reality you looked like a ghoul with a smirk on his face
>this job really did eat away at you
>clock out and hop on the bus home
>sit in the far back like always
>away from all the raucous in the other seats
>young high school students acting like assholes
>blaring their trash music and acting like they're better than you
>while you're looking around the bus you see that anthro from yesterday
>she's staring right at you
>immediately avert your gaze
>something was off... but it wasn't easy to tell
>get off the bus at your stop and head back to your apartment
>508
>close the door and go right for the fridge
>no soda
>purple drink
>and a little bit of Sunny D left in a 2-Liter bottle
>down it and throw it into the recycling bin
>it clatters off onto the ground next to it
>your eyes return to the fridge to find something to eat
>expired milk
>half a sandwich worth of lunch meat
>no cheese
>some ketchup on the door shelf though
>take the meat and ketchup
>open the bread box to see a single piece of bread
>something's off
>take it out and eat your concoction
>get your laptop from your room and sit on the couch
>right into the korean dry cleaning boards you frequent
>shitpost for a while on different boards
>see a general you go to often
>______ General #101, ______ Edition
>post in it and look at the clock in the bottom right
>10:00 PM
>close the lid and head off to bed
>you fall asleep in a few minutes

---

>the sheets and pillows stick to you when you finally get out of bed
>the alarm clock shining it's bright red numbers
>4:30 AM
>it starts blaring
>throw one of your pillows at it
>it stops
>good
>head into the kitchen and start opening the cupboards
>generic, off brand corn flakes
>toss the plastic bag onto the table
>next you smell the milk in the fridge
>completely curded
>shove it back in and don't give it a second thought
>get a glass from next to the sink and try the tap
>nothing
>damn it
>when will they fix the plumbing?
>you should take this up with the landlord
>maybe you'll get some sort of compensation for three days with no water
>sit at the table and eat your dry cornflakes in silence
>an alarm blares from the clock on the table
>4:53 AM
>click it off and head to the bus stop
>it flies by as soon as you step out the front door
>god fucking damn it
>if this wasn't bullshit, you don't know what is
>wait for the next bus and hop on it
>30 day pass in the receptacle
>then back seat and earphones in
>favorite band on shuffle
>pull the cord when it's your stop
>fucking headrests
>clock in and get to work

>you're in a dead-end job
>there is no ascension
>only stagnation and madness
>*KERCHUNK* *STAMP* *KERCHUNK* *STAMP*
>over and over
>there's a rhythm to it
>1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4
>over and over again
>it never stops
>the noises it makes drill into your brain at every chance they get
>eating away at the little thread that keeps you from snapping
>this time you spot your boss coming from across the factory
>"An-"
>interrupt him before he could start his schpiel
>"I know. If I fuck up again I'm fired. Can we not do this every day?"
>the cat just walks off and heads into his cushy office
>fuck him

>5 O'Clock and you're gone
>first to clock out
>you get onto the bus and sit in your normal spot
>furthest seat back and left
>earphones in
>music on
>you found yourself relaxing until the high schoolers got onto the bus
>that same shitty song
>~Bitches, bitches, wack and beat snitches~
>what the fuck was that even supposed to mean?
>shake your head at it and look back out the window
>see that anthro dog from the last two days staring right at you
>digging into your soul
>spend the rest of the ride looking forwards
>ring the line and hop off
>back to the shitty apartment
>508
>if you ever forget your number, remember, you hate eight
>unlock the door and go right for the fridge
>rancid milk
>no soda
>purple drink
>about a mouthful of Sunny D in a 2-Liter bottle
>what
>look a little closer at the fridge
>see a half sandwich worth of lunch meat
>close it and run to the laptop in your room
>scroll through /rubbish/ to find the general you go to all the time
>______ General #101, ______ Edition
>gulp audibly
>fuck
>there must be an explanation for what's happening right now
>you could just not have seen the other bits of lunch meat
>maybe you dreamt the last day or two since your life wasn't exciting enough
>spend fifteen minutes waiting on one of the threads you posted on yesterday
>the same posts came through at the exact same time as the last two days
>that settled it
>you're stuck in a time loop

>mentally flip a lid
>what the hell happened?
>who would do this?
>your first thought was to head to /x/ and post about this
>they'd know what to do... right?
>post a thread
>"/x/, help. I'm stuck in a time loop and I don't know what to do."
>for the first half an hour there wasn't anything
>some hissy fit over an "alien" picture they were trying to decode
>a few posts came soon after though
>mostly jokers
>"Just jump out of it!"
>"Stop doing the same thing every day then."
>there was one that stood out
>"Someone must have cast some sort of Hoodoo curse on you. Think of anyone that you've wronged in the past. They want something from you and until they get it, they won't stop the loop."
>there was your answer
>someone wanted something from you
>open up the notepad program on the laptop and begin typing out the names of people you've hurt or wronged
>it started small
>three or so names
>then the more you thought about it the longer it got
>that was until it was nearly fifty names long
>fuck
>fuckedbeyondallmeasure.gif
>okay Anon, think
>who did you know that was into occult, hoodoo voodoo stuff?
>nothing came to mind
>look at the list in front of you and read off the names in your head
>at least if you're stuck in a time loop you don't have to worry about going to work
>it's just going to keep happening over and over again anyways
>check one thing off your mental list
>you don't have to wake up early if you don't have to go to work
>what would you even do all day if you didn't work?
>there isn't any fun to shitposting if you already know what people are going to post
>shut the computer lid
>open your wallet to see a pair of $5s and a $20
>if you keep waking up on the same day, then you don't have to worry about spending money
>you grab your house key before leaving and locking up
>if there's $30 in the wallet, then it'll be there tomorrow
>as you step out of the front door of your apartment complex, you see a sign down the street
>"Westside Corner Store"
>guess that means it's martini time
>*BONG*
>through the door and right towards the coolers in the back
>all sorts of different beer
>grab a 6 pack of Oni-Brew (beer brewed by brazen bastards)
>head to the checkout
>"Hello, how can I help you?"
>the indian man behind the counter said cheerfully
>tell him you want one of the cheap bottles of whiskey
>some rum
>and vodka
>"That comes to $28.70."
>hand him the money and tell him to keep the change
>"Thank you, come again."
>thank you Apu
>walk back down the street with the bottles of alcohol in a paper bag and the six pack under your arm
>the door to your apartment opens up with no problem after you unlock it
>set all your drinks on the couch-side table
>plop onto the couch and crack the top on one of your Oni-Brews
>laptop set on the coffee table
>put the last episode of Paul's Pizza on and relax
>all of the todays from now on are all about you
>what you want
>and what you can do with $30 and a fatigued mind
>maybe a time loop isn't so bad

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Chapter 2: (Not Really) Friday To Sunday
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>'Ugh. What the hell's going on?'
>look at the clock on your bedside table
>4:10 AM
>why are you walking up before your alarm?
>the pounding in your head intensifies while you stare at the red numbers on the block
>oh god
>that's right
>you didn't have any water when you drank last night
>damn plumbing had to be messed up on the day you get time looped
>unplug the clock, grab your wallet, and head out to the sofa
>in minutes you're on your phone calling in sick to work
>harness the power of the hangover to make it sound like you're a dead man walking
>thinking back to the night of drinking, the hangover actually made you think
>'It looks like whatever happens to me gets brought back too. Just like a bad cold...'
>open your fridge to see the rancid milk jug
>oh boy
>an idea comes to mind when you see it
>if there was a mirror in front of you, you'd see a madman's grin
>that bus was early three times in a row
>(never mind the time loop)
>you still missed that first bus three times
>make the trek up to the roof a few stories up with the curdled catastrophe
>the phone in your hand is currently telling you 4:53 AM
>*KRRCHUG*
>a mass of blue and grey rounded the corner down the street
>raise the jug of devastation +1
>try to gauge the distance
>you know what?
>fuck it
>overhead throw it right into the windshield of the speeding bus
>the jug of curdled non-curds broke in half, sending the insides flying all across the front and road in front of it
>*SCREECH*
>it drifted into a stop almost right away
>time to hotfoot it out of here
>you nearly fly down the stairs and back into your apartment
>look out your window and start laughing uncontrollably when the driver tried to determine where the jug came from
>makes you remember your teenage years
>back before everything hurt
>back when you were in the "plaid suspenders, flatcap, and tank top" phase
>that was a weird year
>Jumpkick McMurphys and their album "The Angriest of Moments" were your life for a year
>your family's best friends were Irish so that might have contributed to it
>until they moved back to New England that is
>then you slowly regressed back to the normal you
>go to the fridge and take out the Sunny D
>drink it and throw it into the trash bin
>yourenotmyrealdad.gif
>make sure your wallet is in your pocket before heading out for the day
>no work meant no problems
>lock your door and run out to the bus
>see it still stopped in the middle of the road
>run over while the driver scrubs the white thunder from his windshield
>wave at him
>"Hey! You didn't happen to see where this shit came from did you?"
>tell him that it looked like it came from the building across the street from yours
>"Alright. Thanks. I was running early and someone decided to fuck up my day. It should be cleaned up in the next few minutes. Hop on. I won't charge ya' for your ride."
>smile and thank the man
>first you throw a jug of a crunchy concoction into his bus
>then get a free ride?
>you should do this more often
>go through the open door and sit in the very back right
>earphones in
>the sweet smell of a job well done
>a job well done smells like rancid dairy apparently

>it was a little while before you got off the bus
>right outside your bank
>a thought had popped into your head during the ride
>you had gone to sleep in different clothes all three nights and woken up in them that morning
>does that mean things that are connected to you also go back too?
>go to the ATM and insert your card
>the screen read your balance
>$102.57
>great
>withdraw everything and head back home
>at least your bus pass will never run out

>you waste the rest of the day doing random things at home
>10:00 PM
>put your wallet in your pocket and drop face first into bed
>it took a little longer than normal to fall asleep, but that was because you didn't go to work at the headrest hellhole today.
>sleep did take you eventually

>*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
>punch the alarm button on top of the clock
>see your wallet next to it
>also feel something in a pocket
>pull out a second wallet
>take out the $20 and two $5s to compare them to the originals
>the serial numbers are different on each of them
>oh boy
>time loop money cloning doesn't make exact copies of the same bills
>no police knocking on your door and thinking you're a counterfeiter
>if you ever get out of the loop, your money troubles are all over
>you're the proud owner of $162.57 in cash and $102.57 still in your bank account
>working your way up in the world
>pull your phone out and call your work
>no work and all play makes you a happy boy

---

>a week had passed since you found out how to duplicate your money
>and NOTHING that you wanted to do was left
>you had drank yourself into a stupor
>TWICE
>once at home and the second time at a bar
>you'd bought and beat that game you wanted, holding onto your laptop while you slept so your save data would still be there
>you had bought enough snacks and drinks to stay at home and seriously binge watch shows all day
>that ended with a few trips to the vomit comet when the beer and ginger ale from an hour before didn't mix well
>there was nothing left to do
>*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>weird
>you could have sworn there was a pair of knocks against your door
>*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>there WAS knocking on your door
>put your eye right up to the sliding circle before moving it
>it was too smudged and fish-eyed to determine who it was
>yell through the door and ask who it is
>"Just let me in already."
>well, company isn't the thing you expected to get
>more so since it hasn't happened in previous loops
>open it up a little
>the person pushes through and stands in the middle of the living room
>she was some sort of canine anthro that came up to your chin
>light tan fur with spackles of white surrounded with black, and the pattern on her face looked a lot like a skull
>the short grey Grobot shirt she wore was tighter than it should be
>damn was that a good band
>close the door and sit down on the couch
>while you look at her, you can't help but think you've seen her before
>wait... wait a damn moment
>she was that canine girl that you had seen in the first few days of the loop!
>the one that stared right at you and chilled you to the bone
>the one that didn't have a-
>oh
>holy shit
>she doesn't have a set schedule
>she isn't doing the same thing every day
>she must be stuck in a loop just the same as you!
>ask her if she's stuck in a time loop too
>there was a little hesitation at first
>"Y-yeah. I've been stuck in it for about a week and a half now."
>it sounded somewhat suspicious, but should you really care?
>it'd been months since you had someone to hang out with and you've completely run dry on things to do
>maybe a fresh mind will bring new things to do
>"So... I'm Asha."
>she sits down on the other end of the couch
>"We had some of the same classes at NBU a few years ago."
>that's right, you had seen her in your Junior year
>before life decided to pull you down and send you hurdling through three and a half brick walls that is
>talk for a while before looking at the clock on the table
>8:00 PM
>a little late for guests, but it's not every day you get company
>especially a woman as... endowed as her
>shake your head
>you shouldn't be thinking those thoughts
>this whole situation was suspicious
>last time you checked, this was inflicted on YOU
>you wronged someone somehow and they decided to curse you until they get what they want
>there shouldn't be anyone else in this loop
>Asha stands up and starts walking towards the door
>"Hey, it's getting late and I should probably head home. I'll come by tomorrow and we'll see about finding a way to get out of this hoodoo time loop."
>show her out and say goodbye
>lock the door and sit down with your back to the wood
>how would she know if this was some hoodoo curse?
>damn it
>she had seemed so nice too
>was it all a plan to get something out of you?
>what did you do to her before that made her want to curse you?
>all you remembered about her was that she was in a few classes of your's
>head to your room and lay down face first
>when she comes over tomorrow you're going to be gone

---

>up and attem' chief
>the big day came around
>the girl from yesterday was supposed to show up today
>Asha
>look at your clock on the bedside table
>7:00 AM
>*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>the knocks on the door acted like a wakeup call, forcing the sleep from your eyes and preparing you for a run on the bank
>rush to the door and place your eye up to the peephole slider before moving it
>spec ops
>see Asha about to knock again
>slip the circle back over before any light could get through (hopefully)
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>ready, steady, not ready to fighty
>head towards the window and prop it open with a block of wood you kept around
>climb out and slowly lower the window so there wasn't any noise
>*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>fifth story, meet fire escape
>walk around the metal walkway and around a corner to the alleyway
>quickly descend two sets of stairs before finding yourself at an impasse
>a two story drop to the ground
>no ladder
>great
>look around for any other way down further
>there's some windows
>maybe slowly climb down using the windowsills
>no, that wouldn't work well
>the windowsills might be too slippery
>out of the corner of your eye you see something shiny
>there's a drainage pipe about ten feet away from the fire escape
>you'll have to jump to reach it
>time to shimmy down the drainpipe
>take a running start towards the railing
>jump and push off
>just barely clear the 3' tall railing by tucking your legs in as far as possible
>your hand grips the metal pipe and holds on
>the work boots helping to slow you down
>you hit the ground just hard enough to stumble back but not hard enough to hurt
>pull your phone out
>7:19 AM
>too early for this shit
>*CRASH*
>"-alrig-, w-"
>a muffled voice came from the direction your window was in
>"-amn it! Where is he? He should've opened the door."
>that sounded like she had opened up your window
>"Of course. I didn't realize there'd be a fire escape here."
>time to hide or hotfoot
>think quickly
>time is running out
>there was a pile of trash bags to your right
>dive into them like an olympic gold medalist and pull them over you
>moresolidadisguisethananyorangebox.png
>loud clunks came from the metal walkway above, followed by a hurried descent down the flights of stairs
>a strong whiff of something soon followed
>it wasn't the trash currently hiding you, no, it was some sort of perfume
>like something you wouldn't smell every day
>it smelled sweet
>while you were sure she didn't see you yet, there wasn't any telling if she could track you by smell
>if your hunch is right, then she's the person that threw you into this boring hell hole
>poking a small hole to see through in the garbage bag took a little more force than it should have
>the sounds from the fire escape stopped and you could feel the eyes looking at you
>something weird, not 100% normal
>it only took a moment for her to jump, grab onto the drainage pipe, and slide down.
>"Well, at least I know he went this way. Damn it. I have to do all the work don't I?"
>complete stillness
>if mimicry was all it was cracked up to be then you did a perfect rendition of a cinderblock

>what felt like hours passed before she moved again
>not towards the entrance
>towards the trash currently housing you
>"I can't smell him anymore..."
>she looks right through the hole at you
>"Must be some of his old clothes."
>the bag near your head starts moving
>damn, cover blown
>anon?
>ANON?
>ANOOOOOOOON?!
>try to remember what your dad taught you about CQC
>counter balance the knife
>quick slash
>retract
>no knife
>damn it
>look up at the canine looking at you
>wave at her while trying to look nonchalant
>you're fucked all the way from Sunday to Friday
>"Damn it Anon. Get out of the trash and head back upstairs. We're going to find a way out of this loop together right?"
>she's trying to play the "corrupt cop in charge of finding the corrupt cop" role
>if you're screwed anyways, best to get things out of the way
>ask her what kind of canine she was
>"I'm an African Wild Dog."
>that cemented it in your skull
>she's a hoodoo witch

=-=-=-=-=
Chapter 3: (We Need Some) Quality Control
=-=-=-=-=

>the trash piled up beneath and around you hadn't worked as well as intended
>making that eyehole definitely screwed up the entire thing
>push yourself out of the garbage and brush off a few wet receipts and sticky food wrappers
>"You'll be changing when we get back right? I'm not keen on smelling-"
>she sniffed at the air
>"-vomit and rotten eggs for the rest of the day"
>nod and start walking back to your apartment
>walking back like a man headed for the gallows filled you with all manner of questions
>what was her plan with you?
>if she's a hoodoo-voodoo witch, then she must want something personal
>look down at your crotch and wince
>yeah, not a good idea to think that
>she might go for an organ so she could grind it up and add it to some potion
>try to think back to your past
>there was a time your mother had lived in New Orleans
>always said her heart was left down there and only came back when she thought of home
think harder
>one time your mother thought she got cursed so she had you mix salt and graveyard dirt before placing it on every windowsill and in every doorway
>there might have been some merit to the whole thing
>for months before the salt and dirt was scattered around there was weird occurences around your house
>it started as chairs tipping and moving
>then it got so bad that a standing lamp flew across the room at you
>but once that mix was put down, nothing
>no weird stuff
>just... life
>maybe you should get some and it might keep Asha out
>chuckle while you go up a flight of the stairs
>"Something funny?"
>she looked back at you from a few stairs higher than you
>mumble something about graveyard dirt and salt
>her eyes noticably narrow
>"You know, I heard that it helps against curses. I'm not *exactly* sure though. That's not the kind of thing I'm into."
>if you weren't scared shitless of supernatural hoodoo things, you'd call bullshit
>hell, if you did call BS then she'd probably do something to curse your bloodline forever
>maybe even give all your children crab claw hands like that one dude that was a circus freak turned murderer
>what
>find yourself staring at the doorway to your apartment
>no door
>that's several feet into the living room
>glance at Asha then the doorway
>was it really that weak to begin with?
>go to the kitchen and take out your screwdriver and extra screws
>start pulling the door toward before Asha helps out
>"S-Sorry. I didn't want to wait any longer. It'll be fixed tomorrow anyway won't it?"
>nod your head and start screwing it back into the doorway
>it might be fixed tomorrow, but you don't trust your neighbors with anything
>this isn't exactly the best place to live
>"Yeah, it isn't. I didn't expect *you* to be living here of all places. Not with how well you were doing in your classes."
>ask her if intelligence is dictated by someone's monetary status
>"I don't... I don't understand."
>get a little angrier
>ask the question a second time
>"N-no."
>she's probably just saying what you want to hear
>mentally wave it off while screwing in another screw
>it'll only be a quick fix
>at least until the next today
>sigh, place the screwdriver on the coffee table, and fall back into your shitty couch
>try to ignore Asha being there
>it doesn't work
>not with her staring right at you
>ask her why she's staring
>"I'm not staring! I'm just, uh, looking at you.
>somewhat creepy, what with that black skull-like pattern on her face
>stand to go grab your laptop from your room
>Asha follows like a lost dog
>when you turn away from her, she belly flops on your bed
>"Ugh, where'd you get this mattress? It's one of the worst I've ever laid on."
>say it was the only one you could afford with your meager earnings
>"What happened to you Anon?"
>she looks up from the pillow her muzzle was in and right at you
>sit at the edge of the bed
>begin to tell her what happened in the last few weeks of your Junior year at NBU
>about the party you went to when a "friend" convinced you to go
>the friend talking all sorts of shit behind your back
>the drinking
>and the false allegations brought against you afterwards
>it got you kicked out of college, even with several witnesses backing you up
>these things came and went though
>you were a social outcast
>the disenfranchised
>your life and dreams ended when you were kicked out
>no other schools would take you
>everyone from NBU thought you were a horrible person
>your mother all but disowning you
>and there wasn't anything you could do
>so you settled for a soul crushing job and moved into a horrible apartment that you could barely afford while working 70 hours a week without a day off
>rock bottom had come and went
>now you're a step below and contemplating unspeakable things twenty times before noon
>push off the edge of the bed and look right at her
>"And this time loop is just the icing on the shit cake, Asha."
>grab the laptop again and take it to the living room
>open in and put on some old shows from Adult Swim
>8 oz. Rat and then Butty McRee
>too early for all this shit

>noon came around earlier than it should have
>Asha seemed fine with sticking around and watching the shows too
>while you should be worried about having her that close to any vital organs, it was fun
>keep telling yourself Stockholm Syndrome isn't real
>a rumbling came from your stomach when it realizes you haven't had anything to eat today
>your company noticed the sound and motioned towards the door
>"Do you want to go and get something to eat? There's a place a few blocks down with great coffee and sandwichs."
>tell her you'll go
>"Alright, Let's go!"

>it took a few minutes to walk down the street and get to the place she was talking about
>Renee's
>Asha walks through the door and you soon follow
>get in line right behind her
>there were a few people ahead of you two, but they got their orders fast enough
>the canine gets to the frong and starts looking at the menu
>"Alright. I'll have a medium vanilla latte and a cheese danish. Anon, what do you want?"
>she steps back for a moment so you can see the menu
>you don't look at that though
>your eyes lock onto the person working behind the counter
>a white haired bunny anthro with her head fur spiked and dyed in a myriad of colors
>boxy black rimmed glasses
>green shortsleeve shirt and brown apron over her front
>this, Anon, was the person that got you kicked out of NBU
>the rage from years ago didn't come right away
>a look of pure hatred overtook your bored, placid demeanor
>fire burning behind your eyes
>move in front of Asha and slam your hands on the counter
>nearly spit in the bunny's face
>"*YOU* go on living like nothing happened. You're a horrible person. Your parents go to bed at night wishing the doctor had succeeded at aborting you."
>spit on her apron and walk out of the coffee shop
>back to your apartment
>and back to bottling up your feelings
>only shaming yourself in the basement of your apartment complex by getting drunk off tiny wines
>get through your door and lay down on the couch
>it felt good to get it off your chest though
>Asha comes back a few minutes later with her danish in hand
>sits down on the arm rest near your head
>"So... that was the girl that ruined your life?"
>close your eyes and nod
>she sighs
>"It sucks that she won't remember it tomorrow. *mumble*"
>ask her what she said at the end
>"I didn't say anything."
>sit up and look at her
>ask again
>Asha takes a bite of her danish and looks away
>shake your head and lay back down
>you can't deal with this shit right now
>fall asleep

>ugh
>why did you have to fall asleep on this couch?
>was your head propped up before you fell asleep anyways?
>look around the room and see a note on the table
>"Anon. Sorry about leaving while you were sleeping. We need to talk tomorrow so don't go hiding in the trash again."
>throw the pillow across the room and push back into the cushion
>you could always try snaking out before she gets here
>the clock on the kitchen table says 11:59
>what happens if you stay awake past midnight?
>can you even stay awake longer than that?
>stand up and go to walk over to the clock
>it sounds off
>an electronic chime
>12:00 AM
>feel yourself falling forwards
>the ground approached fast
>*SMACK*
>there went your head

---

>*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>you pull yourself up from the floor, nursing a large bump on your forehead
>stumble over to the door and unlock it
>come in already
>"Hey Anon. I got two gallons of w-"
>her bags drop and she rushes to you
>"What happened? Did you fall down?"
>Asha's paws push your hands aside, feeling the bump
>tell her that you woke up right before midnight and when the clock chimed, you fell down and passed out
>she picks up the bags and puts them on the coffee table nearby
>"Well, that means you need to lay down at night doesn't it?"
>sit down on the couch and shake your head
>it isn't about falling and cracking your egg on the ground
>it's about what that means
>it meant that wherever you were at 12:00 AM, you would wake up there the next day
>you could take trips if you really wanted
>the canine smiles at you
>"You saw my note didn't you? I needed to talk to you about something."
>she walks back to the open doorway and grabs another bag that was there
>"If we're ever going to find out who threw us in this loop, then it'd be better if I didn't have to ride across town just to talk. That, and I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don't have another episode like yesterday."
>Asha dropped the bag in front of you
>she's just trying to worm her way into everything
>think about the bag she brought
>wouldn't she need to have the bag touching her when she fell asleep in order to keep it all there?
>ask her about it
>"I put some graveyard dirt and salt in the bottom to keep the curse out. You mumbled about it yesterday didn't you?"
>nod lightly
>if that's all it took...
>wait
>hurriedly ask her if she has any left
>she nods and hands you the plastic baggies full of them
>go around the house scattering little bits of it everywhere, opening up windows and putting it on the windowsills, and opening doors and putting it under them
>tadah!
>curse proof house?
>she smiles again and chuckles
>"I didn't think about that. So, what do you say? I'll take the couch and you can have the bed."
>shake your head at her
>tell yourself internally that even if she's a hoodoo witch, that she's your guest (and a good looking one at that)
>you'll take the couch and she'll have the bed
>Asha pulls you into a tight hug
>can't breath well
>cough twice and she finally lets go
>"First thing tomorrow we're going to start finding out how to get out of here."
>you're 100% certain she already knows how to get out, but is still doing the "corrupt cop in charge of finding corruption" routine
>if hoodoo-voodoo witches are all this deceiving, shouldn't there be some sort of quality control?

=-=-=-=-=
Chapter 4: (We Shouldn't Be) Sowing the Seeds of Love
=-=-=-=-=

>you and Asha are now roommates
>for better or for worse
>stuck with a hoodoo witch must have some bonuses shouldn't it?
>something about stabbing dolls and hurting people for real plays through your mind
>maybe that bunny rabbit down at the coffee shop could get what's coming to her
>"Anon."
>turn to the canine and give her your attention
>"Maybe we should do something about... *this*."
>she motioned all around the room
>at the peeling wallpaper
>at the broken tiles in the kitchen
>even at the carpet in the living room that had more coffee stains than actual color at this point
>agree with her and try to think of what you should do
>new furniture wouldn't be a bad idea
>definitely a new couch since you're now bedless and can't be damned to sleep on the old musty brown one stuck in the living room for longer than you have to
>think harder
>how would you even go about getting the furniture?
>with your apartment now curse proof, you wouldn't get that extra $30 a day from your second wallet
>the bank and the $102.57 isn't going to buy a new bed
>not unless there's a five to ten day waiting period you want to go through
>scrap that idea
>ask Asha how much money she has in her bank account
>"$1300 something. You don't have much?"
>tell her about your cash situation
>she chuckles and shakes her head
>"I forgot about that. Didn't you say something the first time I came over about a factory job?"
>no
>no you didn't
>"It doesn't matter anyways Anon. You cover the food and drinks, I'll pay for everything else."
>sounds like a good plan
>maybe you can still sock away some extra money to keep after you get out of this loop
>however that may be
>what did she want from you anyways?
>a kidney?
>you would have woken up in your tub yesterday night if that was the case
>your spleen?
>what did a spleen even do
>search it up on your phone
>it filters blood and helps fight infections
>Asha looks at the screen and jabs you in the shoulder
>"What are you doing? Looking to sell some spleens for quick cash?"
>shake yourself out of your thoughts and slide the phone back in your pocket
>was she behind your back that entire time?
>holy hell was she sneaky
>mental note
>don't let her get behind you at any point

>"How about this one? It's a nice wraparound couch isn't it?"
>shake your head
>wraparounds were for chumps
>everyone knows the best couches were chaise couches
>point out the crimson red chaise couch across from it
>"Really Anon?"
>nod
>chaise couch is best couch
>"What if I want the wraparound? I have the money!"
>get a little upset
>a new sofa is better than that brown one back home
>regardless of whether or not wraparounds suck
>agree halfheartedly

>bean bag chairs aren't supposed to be that big
>look at the large brown monstrosity in front of you
>it came up to your waist and sunk down with that average bean bag chair shape
>Asha jumped into it and curled up
>she's going to rope you into getting that too isn't she?
>fuck

>*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>ah
>must be the movers with your new furniture
>open it and they bring the bean bag chair and couch in
>then they take the old stuff with them
>what are they going to do with it anyways?
>please, for the love of god, burn it all
>let nothing remain
>the new, white wraparound couch currently taking up a large space of your living room looked quite inviting
>look at the clock on the table
>7:00 PM
>sit down on it and sink in almost instantly
>oooooooh yeeeeeeeah
>this had your old one beat twenty thousand times over
>drift off to sleep almost immediately

---

>"What do you think about this table Anon? Too round?"
>Asha pointed at a table in the middle of the display area
>yes
>no table should be that round, not even the round table
>point out a nice rectangular one near you
>look at the label
>"Lancaster 82" Wood Top w/ Farmhouse Base  - Parchment"
>she comes over and starts inspecting it
>"This is a little big for your kitchen. I think that round one would work the best"
>damn it
>she was right
>conceed and go to get one of the furniture store salesmen

>bookcases
>she dragged you to go see different bookcases
>there had been a few books scattered around your apartment, sure, but there wasn't a need for a hunk of wood to hold them
>a few nice looking ones caught your eye though
>maybe you could repurpose them for other uses
>Asha picks one out and goes to find the salesman from earlier

>you're in a supermarket right now
>picking up all manner of food and drinks
>some alcohol too, but that's for yourself
>for some reason you find yourself in the entertainment section looking at CDs
>mostly normie stuff
>of course it'd only be normie music
>this was a supermarket, not a record store
>see a case hiding behind most of the others
>"Grobot, Welcome To Skinny Town"
>grab it and put it in your cart
>ring it up and take the bags out to the bus stop

>get back to the apartment just as the moving people got there with today's haul
>a bookcase and a new table
>as soon as they put the table down your bags were dropped on it
>put the groceries away and toss Asha the CD
>"What's th-"
>she looks over it and smiles
>"I didn't have this one yet! Thanks Anon!"
>you're pulled into a hug almost immediately
>pat her back and wheeze
>holy hell did she have a strong grip
>Asha rushes to your bedroom and brings out a CD player
>holy shit
>they still made those?
>she plugs it in and puts the CD on
>the next 40 minutes were spent listening to it and trying to think what the band was
>it was a mix between rock and hard rock, that much was certain
>sit back and relax as she let's the album play over again
>fall asleep on the couch

---

>nearly two weeks had passed since you two got the couch
>almost every day was spent out getting new stuff for the apartment
>furniture
>appliances
>fucking COUNTER TOPS
>there was real marble on there now
>MARBLE
>at some point she had gotten a brand new bedframe and mattress for the bedroom
>don't really care
>it's not your room anymore
>each day had ended with another album Asha got from some record shop she frequented
>some were really weird
>Helmethead
>Grab, which was a hard rock band from Maryland
>even some Jumpkick McMurphys
>that brought you back
>made you feel like a teenager again

>think to yourself while Hannigan's Ball played on the CD player
>why was she being so nice to you?
>you had to have done something in the past that made her send you into this time loop
>spend a few minutes trying to think back to your time at NBU
>there wasn't even a single time you talked to her until a few weeks ago
>what had you done?
>though being stuck in this time loop had it's advantages
>stuck in the same day, taking the same money out of your account every day, and stockpiling it like a hoarder would help if anything happened in the future
>that was if you got out of the loop
>being stuck with Asha was getting worse for your mental state
>every day you wracked your brain trying to figure out why you're here
>any time you look at her, you find your face flush and your heart pumping
>it's Stockholm Syndrome Anon
>you're just being held hostage by a canine anthro that probably knows you're suspicious of her
>there isn't any real romantic feelings for her
>that's just Stockholm Syndrome
>if you don't go along with the ruse, then you'll either wake up missing half your organs or you won't wake up at all
>but she's also like a breath of fresh air
>bringing new feelings back into the shell that is you
>making you feel things you hadn't acknowledged existing for years
>Asha wormed her way into your apartment before refurnishing the place
>she can't be all that bad
>"She put you in this loop!"
>the voice from your right side shouted at you
>"She wouldn't be this nice if she was just using him!"
>a second voice came from the left
>they continued bickering while the music kept playing in the background
>after a few minutes they came to a consensus
>if she isn't as bad as your voices say, then she'd accept that you know about her and the hoodoo-voodoo time loop that she caused
>you can't go back to the factory Anon
>if Asha doesn't want anything from you and just stuck you in here, well, at least you'll have company
>there is no going back to the paycheck to paycheck life with nothing to show for it
>never
>try to get Asha's attention
>she isn't listening
>say it a little louder
>nothing
>place your hands on her shoulders and turn her
>she snaps out of her trance and looks right into your eyes
>"Asha, listen to me! I know you're the person that put me in here."