The Blue Phoenix Café - A Collection of Short Stories and One Shots

The Blue Phoenix Café

The café life is a simple one. People come in, have coffee and maybe a bite to eat, then leave. Some return every now and then, soon becoming frequent customers, while others visit once and are never seen again.

I’ve been brewing coffee in this old place for as long as I
can remember. I’ve never had any other job, nor would I ever want another. The pay is decent and I get free coffee in the morning as a perk. However, the reason I stay is for one that most people would not expect; I stay for the stories. One can meet some very interesting folk while working in a café, but this place has had far more than its fair share of fascinating people. The people that come through here have told me tales of things I could never imagine happening in even my wildest dreams.

Do you see that young man in the corner? The one with the messy black hair and buck teeth? He dove to the deepest depths of the ocean and swam with dragons. That shiny amulet around his neck is a scale that one of them shed. That middle-aged woman by the window with a dreamy look on her face? Her husband passed away ten years ago - the day after they were married. She’ll never fall in love again, but the memories of her late husband no longer hurt. Rather, they bring her immense happiness. That little girl with the burn scars on the palms of her hands? She got those from petting the very bird this place was named after. Most people think that everyone who passes through here has a few screws loose, but I believe each and every one of their stories. They really don’t have any reason to lie. Just because nobody else saw it, it doesn’t mean it never happened. Instead, it makes it all the more enticing, all the
more magical.

One way or another, everyone with a story to tell eventually ends up at the Blue Phoenix Café. Some may stay, while others never return. I’ve heard so many stories throughout my years of working here, and each one of them is truly a treasure that deserves to be remembered by all who hear it. I would never trade this job or this place for anything in the world.

Whether or not you believe the stories of the people that pass through this place, you’ve still managed to find your way here. Whether you’ll come again or never return is your choice. Just know that no matter who you are or what your story is, you’ll always be welcome at the Blue Phoenix Café.