C-CAD4-034
Barista: Travis Norris
Date: Dec-31-2019
Receipt: C-CAD4-034
Subject: Business as Usual
Ain’t nobody ready for what happened today. Not a damn soul. Don’t know what’s worse—a funeral or a fiasco.
At least we know how to handle fiascos.
Jean-Marc was sayin’ his piece. ███████, █████—███ ██ ‘██. ██ ███ ██ ██████ ████—BOOM. Like the sky itself got torn in two. The whole place lit up like a lightning strike, but it wasn’t no storm. It was her.
It was Julia.
One second she was just standin’ there—grief plain on her face. The next? ███ ███ ██████’. ███ ███ ██████ ████—██████ ██████, ████ ███ █████, ██████’ ███ ███ ████ ████ █ ███████ ███████. █████’█ ██ ██████ ██████, ██ █████ ██ ███ ██ █ █████ ████. █████ █████’█ ██████ ██████ ██████. It was somethin’ else. Somethin’ old. Somethin’ dangerous. ████████’ ████ ███████’█ █████. And before any of us could even think about movin’ to help her—she bolted.
Silence followed—thick as tar, heavy as a loaded gun. No one moved. No one breathed. Just starin’ at the scorch marks she left behind. Then Jean-Marc moved. Muttered somethin’—half prayer, half curse—then took off. That snapped the rest of us into gear real fast.
Now we’re all spread out lookin’ for her. Jackie’s tearin’ through the streets on her bike, checkin’ every haunt Julia’s ever had ‘round here. ███████’█ ███████’ ███ ███████ ████████████. ██████ ████ ████ ████? ██████ ██ █ ██████. █████ ███ █████ ███ ████ ██ ███ ████, ██████’ █████, ███ ██ ███? ██████’. ███ ███’█ ████’ ███ ██████ ███████████████ ██████ ██ ███ ██ ███ ███ ███ █ █████ ██ █████ ██████.
And Jean-Marc? Man’s movin’ like a ghost. No words. No hesitation. Like findin’ Julia’s the only thing keepin’ him standin’. Can’t say I blame him. I don’t think we was plannin’ on another fire so soon after the last. Especially one that could’ve been avoided. We all saw her face before she ran. That wasn’t just grief. That was guilt. And guilt that deep? It’ll eat a person alive if you let it. ‘Course this is a bit extreme.
We gotta find her. Fast. ‘Cause whatever’s happenin’ to Julia? She ain’t just facin’ it alone. She’s fightin’ it alone.
Decaffeinate Receipt
“Cemeery.”
Word Play | Western Trivia | 3 Words