Chapter 1 Death

The day had started like any other, I woke up on my musty futon, opened the window, and smoked a cigarette while thinking about what I had to do today. After waking up I got ready and left to go work. I knew today was gonna be payday so I decided to buy some alcohol and some more cigs after I cashed my paycheck.
I started work keeping to myself like I normally do, I just wanted to come in do my time, and clock out, I didn't care about making any friends nor did I care about pleasing my boss to get any promotions, that's probably why no one really cared about what I did.
After work finished I collected my paycheck and went to the bank so that I could cash it in but then I remembered that today was a significant day as well, it was the anniversary of my mothers' death. I couldn't believe that I had forgotten but then it happened, the visions, it was like I could see her body hanging again in front of my eyes, dangling from side to side. I had shivers as I was walking, I could feel a panic attack coming until I walked into someone who began to scream at me, which brought me down to reality real quick.
Remembering her death got me thinking about my father, or rather the lack of one, he too died a long time ago back when I was only a couple of months old, then my mother took her life a bit after my fourth birthday, I guess the stress of being a poor single mother while simultaneously dealing with the death of the man she loved just got too much for her at that point in time.
Thinking about all of that had gotten me depressed so I just really wanted to get to the bank get my money and then drink my sorrows away, but it just wasn't my day.
Upon walking into the bank there was a massive line, apparently, that day was very busy for banks so I just sighed and walked into the line, not even 10 minutes later a man walked in with his coat clearly hiding a bulge. After walking in he revealed what he was hiding in his coat to be a Heckler & Koch MP5 and fired a couple of rounds into the ceiling and proceeded to scream at everyone.
"GET DOWN, I SAID TO GET THE FUCK DOWN!!!" Said the slightly overweight man while showcasing his gun around, instantly there were screams everywhere, and people rushing to get down.
"Shut up, I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!!!" Screamed the man as he heard the shouts and screams of the people.
While everyone had been scrambling to get down, I had already been on the ground for a while, I wasn't trying to die that day, my life might've been really shitty but I still wanted to live it.
After a couple of seconds, everyone was down on the floor and no one was speaking, I could only assume that by now the silent alarm has already been pressed so now it's just the waiting game between the robber and the police, I just kept my head down and resolved myself not to make any eye contact but yet again it seemed like it just wasn't my day.
The robber had made his way towards me and placed the gun towards my head.
"GET UP NOW!! YOU'RE MY HOSTAGE NOW!" The man shouted in my ear.
All I could think at the time was 'really, me of all people, you had to pick me' I was lying on the floor around the middle of the bank with multiple kids and women between me and the robber, of course, I didn't want him to pick the kids or women but wouldn't they have been better to have as hostages.
I slowly stood up keeping my hands up and in view as well as putting on a terrified face so that he knew that he held the power there but once again it felt like fate just kept trying to push me even further down this rabbit hole. The man had grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him but as I was surrounded by multiple other people I had tripped on someone and fell over, as I tried to stand up and lifted my head I noticed a muzzle in my face pointing directly at me.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST TACKLE ME, I DON'T NEED YOU TO PLAY THE HERO DUMBASS!!" He screamed in my face while waving the gun in my face.
"Wait no I didn't m-"
RATATATATA
'What? why? I didn't even mean to do it' I found myself thinking of these things as darkness began to fill my mind, I managed a look at him before it took over and I saw shock.
'Isn't that great even my death was a mistake' I thought, I could feel my blood leaving my body and I felt cold, so cold.
'I wish I could have a second chance, I wish I could make friends, I wish I could've had a girlfriend, I just wish I did something with my life' Those were my final thoughts as the tears streamed down my face and the light faded from my eyes, now there was just darkness. That was how I, Paul Kingsley, passed my final moments and died.

"Yohohohohoho" A voice echoed in the darkness
"It is time to awaken Paul Kingsley, fate has taken notice of you and we will give you a second chance"
I could feel myself be pulled out of the darkness and into the light only this time I was pulled into something that resembled an amusement park, however many things looked broken down and creepy.
"Now now, it doesn't look too bad does it, Yohohoho" replied the voice
'What?! You can read my mind?'
"Oh but of course I can Paul, within this space, I am all-mighty and all-knowing, I even know how many times you were adopted and subsequently returned as well as the reasons why"
'I know why I was returned I don't care about that shit anymore'
"Tsk tsk now now Paul, there's no need to be so snappy, remember I'm about to give you a new life"
SNAP
Paul's body had materialized as well as the voices, when Paul saw the voice's body, it was a man in a tailored suit with a jester mask as well as a cane with a lion engraved onto the head of it.
"Well then shall we get started with your new life" The jester faced man said
"Wait what's going on, your moving too fast, who even are you?"
".... Yohohohoho it seems I've forgotten to introduce myself, you can call me the trickster, I am the advocate of fate, we heard your plea as you were dying and decided to grant it so we shall give you a new life" the trickster responded with a bow.
After a couple of moments of silence, Paul spoke again.
"So I'll be able to get a second chance" He said hopefully.
"Well yes and no, you will be reborn again however it will not be on this planet, you will be taken to a new realm depending on your roulette choice so you better pray to get lucky"
With that Paul seemed to have been dosed with a bucket of cold water, the trickster realizing what he said decided to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Don't worry, your luck will be put to your world's average for this meaning you can at least hope that you won't be using your well let's say less than desired luck anyway let's start already."
CLAP CLAP
Upon clapping his hands a massive roulette had appeared out of thin air and the trickster had motioned for Paul to get up to the stand and pull the lever.
'Please, please, I just want to have the power to be able to dictate my own life, to be able to have friends, to have some girlfriends but above all else to have a loving family please' Paul prayed in his heart and pulled the lever.
Watching the wheel spin he closed his eyes and kept praying in his head unbeknownst to him the trickster had changed all the outcomes to the same one.
'Yohohohoho, Paul your next life was decided from the beginning this was just so you had the resolve to go through with it yourself, with this you'll have the opportunity to get everything you've wished for, however, it will be up to you to get them, take this gift of ours as our sorry for your first life'
Finally, the roulette had stopped and highlighted one of the many picks which were actually all the same underneath the surface but before Paul could even check he could feel himself getting sucked back into the darkness.
"Wait, wait I don't know my choice?!" Paul shouted
But all he could see was the trickster standing in front of him before taking off its mask to see a face comprised of darkness with a mouth, despite being terrified he kept his eyes on him.
"Yohohohoho, you will soon find out what your life is, good luck to you mister Paul, I sincerely pray for your success." He said with a smirk on his face but before Paul could retort he was already sucked into the darkness.