Ghosts

It was after the third cup that Rocky felt it. Everyone else in the cafe was sedated. The espresso machine stopped hissing, the bell fixed to the door frame stopped ringing, and the newspapers lay still—no slurping, chewing, or lip smacking.

Rocky looked to the window outside. The pavement on the road had disappeared. Cars had vanished. The air began to feel lighter, so light that Rocky felt his breath shallowing. His chair broke the silence when he stood up. But there was no echo or response from the world in the cafe.

There was a dynamic world outside, though. Horses clopped past in the hard dirt. A fountain bubbled that hadn’t been operational in nearly 50 years. The people milling about wore thick wool, baggy linen, and long dresses with leather boots. Rocky looked on from inside the cafe.

The air was getting heavier inside. Thick, even. Rocky couldn’t believe the world he’d witnessed. And he couldn’t believe the world he was about to step into.