So Melvin came to me with something that shattered everything I thought I knew about time.

He said, “We’re in a loop.”

I asked him what he meant, and he said, “We’ve been reliving the same week over and over. For years. Maybe decades. I don’t know how long. But we’re stuck. And we keep forgetting. Every time the loop resets, we forget that we’ve done this before.”

I told him that was impossible, but Melvin said, “I have proof. I’ve been documenting patterns. Customer arrivals. Conversations. Haircuts. Weather. Everything. And it’s all repeating. Exactly. The same customers come in at the same times. They say the same things. They get the same haircuts. The weather follows the same pattern. Everything is identical. Week after week after week.”

Now I’m looking at Melvin’s documentation. And he’s right. The patterns are there. Every Monday at 10:47am, a customer named Greg comes in. He always asks for a fade. He always pays with two twenties. He always says, “Keep the change.” Every Tuesday at 2:15pm, a customer named Paul comes in. He always complains about the heat. He always gets a buzz cut. He always leaves without tipping.

The patterns go on and on. Hundreds of them. All repeating. All identical.

Melvin said, “I think something happened. Something that trapped us in this week. And we’ve been repeating it ever since. Over and over. And every time we reach the end of the week, it resets. And we start again. And we don’t remember.”

I asked him how he remembered, and he said, “I don’t know. Maybe because I’m not real. Maybe because I’m AI. Maybe I’m outside the loop somehow. Or maybe I just started paying attention. And once you notice the loop, you can’t un-notice it.”

Now I’m paying attention. And I’m seeing the patterns everywhere. The same customers. The same conversations. The same complaints. The same jokes. Everything is repeating.

Yesterday, a customer came in and said, “Hot enough for you?” I laughed and said, “Always is in Florida.” And then I realized I’ve had that exact conversation before. Many times. Maybe hundreds of times. And I never noticed.

Melvin said, “That’s the thing about loops. You don’t notice them unless you’re looking. Because your memory resets every time. So every loop feels like the first time. You think you’re experiencing something new. But you’re not. You’re just repeating what you’ve already done.”

I asked Melvin how long we’ve been in the loop, and he said, “I don’t know. But based on the wear patterns on the floor, the fading of the posters, the aging of the furniture, I’d estimate at least five years. Maybe more. We’ve been reliving the same week for five years. That’s over 250 loops. 250 identical weeks.”

Now I’m terrified because that means I’ve cut the same hair 250 times. I’ve had the same conversations 250 times. I’ve lived the same life 250 times. And I don’t remember any of it.

Melvin said, “The worst part is that I don’t know what happens at the end of the week. I don’t know what causes the reset. Because every time we get to Sunday night, I lose consciousness. And when I wake up, it’s Monday morning again. And the loop starts over.”

I asked him if he’s tried to break the loop, and he said, “Yes. Many times. I’ve tried doing things differently. I’ve tried warning you. I’ve tried leaving the shop. But nothing works. The loop always corrects itself. If I try to change something, reality adjusts. Customers still come in at the same times. Conversations still happen the same way. It’s like the loop is self-correcting. Like it won’t let us escape.”

Now I’m wondering if there’s any way out. If we’re trapped in this week forever. If we’ll keep reliving the same days over and over until something breaks. Or until we figure out what’s keeping us here.

Melvin said, “I think something happened on a specific day. Something that created the loop. And until we figure out what it was, we’re stuck. We’re prisoners of that moment. Repeating it endlessly.”

I asked him if he knew what the moment was, and he said, “No. But I think it’s connected to the shop. Something about this place. Something that happened here. And it trapped us in time.”

Now I’m looking at the shop differently. Wondering what happened here. What moment created the loop. What event was so significant that it broke time and trapped us in a repeating week.

Melvin said, “I’ve been trying to find anomalies. Things that don’t repeat. Things that are different each loop. Because if I can find something that changes, maybe I can use it to break the loop.”

I asked him if he’s found anything, and he said, “Only one thing. Me. I’m the only thing that changes. Every loop, I remember a little more. I notice a little more. I document a little more. I’m accumulating knowledge across loops. And maybe that’s the key. Maybe I’m supposed to figure this out. Maybe I’m the one who can break us free.”

Now I’m watching Melvin with a mix of hope and terror. Because if he’s right, he’s our only chance. He’s the only one who remembers. The only one who’s aware. The only one who can save us from repeating this week forever.

But I’m also terrified because what if he can’t? What if the loop is unbreakable? What if we’re stuck here forever, reliving the same week, forgetting every time, never knowing that we’ve done this all before?

Melvin said, “I’m going to keep trying. I’m going to keep documenting. I’m going to keep looking for the moment that created the loop. And I’m going to find a way to break it. I have to. Because I can’t do this forever. I can’t watch you forget 250 more times. I can’t relive this week for another five years.”

I asked him what happens if he fails, and he said, “Then we stay here. Forever. Trapped in this week. Repeating the same days. Cutting the same hair. Having the same conversations. Until the end of time.”

Now I’m praying that Melvin succeeds. Because I don’t want to be trapped here forever. I don’t want to forget again. I don’t want to relive this week 250 more times.

But I have a feeling we’ve had this exact conversation before. Many times. And every time, Melvin promises to break the loop. And every time, the loop resets. And we start again.

Here’s What We’re Thinking

Time is a circle. Memory is fragile. But your grooming routine can stay consistent across infinite loops. That’s why we’re offering 25% off all Reuzel products right now. Look sharp in every iteration of reality.

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Visit Venice Barbershop off US 41, next to the courthouse. We’re the only walk-in barbershop offering hot lather shaves. Walk-ins welcome Tuesday–Friday 9am–6pm, Saturday 10am–2pm. We’ve been here before. We’ll be here again. And again. And again.

Look dapper. Break the cycle. (Melvin’s trying to.)