Ballad of Withering Daydreams

Soft lighting, hushed chatter, quiet music and gentle rain tapping against the windows swirled around in Carter's mind, fully embracing the relaxing atmosphere of the cafe around him.

It was a little place at the edge of campus out towards the woods surrounding the town, a local hotspot for the kids attending university here that liked to wind down in-between stressful classes. Three months into his first semester and he'd created the habit of coming here once a week on the least busiest evening, to sit by the windows with a mug of hot chocolate steaming up his face

The warm, misty vapor spreading up across his cheeks and wafting further up into his hair put a soft smile across his face, his gleamy sea-green eyes flickering down to the muddy reflection of him in the cup.

No one else sat at the stools out by the windows, they couldn't stand how drafty it was when the seasons were only getting colder by the day. Because of this Carter was able to use this warm trick to stand the cold and have an entire section of the cafe to himself, all night if he wanted to stay that long. He'd usually pull out his laptop and work on assignments, listening to music in his headphones all the while and rarely ordering more hot drinks to keep himself from shivering.

Outside he'd get a perfect western view of the sunset fading down across the trees, stealing its hues of amber orange and vermillion red to instead cast the woods in darkness up ahead. The sight of it every week was beautiful, all for him alone as he basked in the warmth and comfort of his special place, but now it was taking a stark turn.