The Standard of Secrets

Stranger

🔔*Chime* *Chime* *Chime*🔔

I settled in. I appreciated the tranquil atmosphere; it wasn't bustling with walk-in traffic, but rather a sanctuary for those like me who returned as part of our daily ritual. It had been a month of embarking on a gastronomic adventure of sorts. He still didn't say much, just brought me different surprises each day, then lingered for a while before retreating to his tasks. Strangely, I had grown accustomed to it. Instead of irritation, there was anticipation now, a sense of curiosity about what he might serve me today.

*Footsteps*👣

Curiosity piqued; I awaited today's culinary delight. "Hi, what can I get you?" Surprisingly, the same words that marked my initiation into this place resurfaced. The voice was low and had an unexpected shrillness, and to my amazement, it wasn't him. It was a woman I was unfamiliar with. A sudden pang of discomfort struck my chest, a suffocating sensation. Symptoms I thought were fading resurfaced. My voice quivered as I asked the stranger, "Isn't this the Midnight Brew?"

"Oh, yes," she replied, looking perplexed. The seat remained the same, the glass walls and interior were unchanged, and the black accent wall behind the counter still bore its mysterious aura. So, why did I feel as if my voice was lost in an abyss, unheard?

"Can I bother you with a triple-shot Espresso?" I managed to say before she walked away. Over the next few days, things unfolded much as they had before. Her presence grounded me in the reality of a world that was monochrome, devoid of the vibrancy of cherries and the delight of chocolate. It was a return to the bitterness.

As days slipped by, the voices once again receded to the background, becoming distant murmurs, and I slipped back into my untroubled rhythm.

*Rain*☔

The season seems ready to change, and I suddenly realize I should have brought an umbrella as the rain soaks me to the bone. It's already late, so I decide to grab a coffee to-go and head home. But as I approach the café, I notice it's unusually dark. Have they closed early? I sigh, realizing that today just isn't my day. I turn to head home before I catch a cold.

*Rushed Footsteps*👣

🔔*Chime* *Chime* *Chime*🔔

"Wait!"