Shudders: Reclamation Day

Chapter 33 - The Cafe

"Paul?" Giggles erupted from the younger woman which made the older one roll her eyes. "Yes, Paul. It reminded me of the janitor who worked at my orphanage. Always slept on the job but would take time out of his work to make us kids laugh. He was sweet."

     Blythe grew a small smile thinking about her childhood. It wasn't the best but there were those who tried to make it better not only for her but for the other children with no parents.

"What happened to Paul? Demon Paul, I mean."

     Blythe's smile fell a bit as her eyes moved down to the coffee cup in her hands. "Not sure. Paul went in for some minor experimentation and never came back. The Scientists said the experiment went wrong but that was it. Then after a few days, I got that creepy nightmare fuel I'm working with now. I9 doesn't do much but you never know."

     As Blythe went to sip her coffee she was quickly replaced by her corpse that had black tears trailing down from her black eyes and red tentacles that waved about behind her before she was soon back to her alive self.

     (Y/N)'s eyes widened as her arm pushed the bowl full of her breakfast onto the floor. Everyone in the cafe turned to her including Blythe who looked surprised. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I- I..."

     (Y/N)'s eyes looked around the cafe. Feeling deja vu from being here before. She remembers this day. Her and Blythe decided to have breakfast somewhere different before heading to work. This was the table they sat at, the food they ate, the conversation they had. (Y/N) quickly shook her head and bent down to pick up the bowl she had knocked over. A waitress came over to help clean up the mess to which the woman quickly said apologies for making a mess and a scene. "I just- got a little startled. That's all..."

"Oh, from what? Did you see something?" Blythe turned in her seat trying to spot whatever startled her best friend.

     Once the bowl was cleaned up the waitress offered to bring another but (Y/N) declined. She didn't have an appetite all of a sudden... "It's nothing-" (Y/N) stammered.

     Blythe raised an eyebrow but decided to let it go. "Ok...?"

     The cafe patrons went back to their breakfast and conversations. Like it was just a normal day in the Zones. Blythe went to check a message she received on her phone while (Y/N) slowly eased back into her seat and look around.

     What was this? This wasn't what happened that day. Her friend would instead be telling her about her first few months with I9 to then soon give her advice and encouraging words to help her feel less doubtful about being a Keeper. (Y/N) used her fingers to feel the table. She felt wood. She smelled the air. The strong smell of coffee, pastries, and breakfast meals wafted through the air. The sounds of the cafe door opening and closing, the chattering of people, the cashier taking orders, and the baby with his mother in the corner who was beginning to cry from having a fork taken away from him. Even the taste of grits, eggs, and her drink covered her tongue that made the woman touch her lips. Upon doing so she noticed her fingers were not black in color.

     She raised her hand to examine them closer and they were... normal.

     Her head turned to the glass window next to them to see her reflection. It was her younger self 6 years ago. The hair she had before. The normal Keeper uniform she used to wear. Her eyes that weren't yellow. She was her 23-year-old self. Everything was like before...

     She already lived this. This was just a memory. But it felt so real.

     Blythe looked so real.

     Just like before, the redhead would get a message on her phone after their conversation ended and roll her eyes. And as (Y/N) remembered it, Blythe rolled her eyes and shoved her phone back into her purse. "We should get to it. Work's calling!" She had fake enthusiasm, it was so familiar.