C-CUTC-035
Barista: Katherine Wade
Date: Dec-26-2019
Receipt: C-CUTC-035
Subject: Division Zulu
I remembered something today.
It came in flashes—blurred memories from before. ██████ █ ████. ██████ █ ███████ █████ █████.
███████. █████████. ███ ████’█ ██████████.
█████ ███ ███████ ████.
███████ ████ ███████. █ ███’█ ████ ███. █ ███’█ ████ ████ ████████ ██ ████. ███ █ ████████ ███ ████. ███ ██████████. ███ ███ ███████ █████—████, ████████, ████ ██ ████ ███████ ████ ████ ███████ ██ █ ████. █ ████████ ████. ██ ████ ████. ████ ████████.
█ ████████ ██████ ██ █████. █████ █████ ██ ████ ████ ████ ███ ████. ████—█ █████. █ ████ █████. ███ ███ ████. ███ ████.
Why do I still remember things about him? His name—his real name—was… ███████. I try not to think about it. But it lingers.
So, I focus on something else. Something better. That’s what Jenny’s been teaching me, anyway.
Today was my first real shift as a barista!
Julia helped me with the machines, patient as ever. Jericho muttered something about how the last thing he needed was a zombie messing up his espresso shots—but he still gave me pointers, even if he pretended not to care. I think that means he likes me. Jackie checked in between customers, making sure I wasn’t overwhelmed.
For the first time in what feels like forever, I felt… normal again. ███ ██ ██████████. ███ █ ███████. Just someone handing out coffee, making small talk, existing without anyone looking at me like I was dangerous.
And yet…
In the back of my mind, the whispers still stir.
███████’s voice. His ██████. His ████████.
███ ███████ ████ █████████ ██████ ██ █████ ███’█ ████. █████ ███’█ █████.
███████…
███████…
Oh.
His last name… was ████.
██’█ ████ ███ █████ ███ █████.
Decaffeinate Receipt
“Zwjftezt wjngz.”
Theology Trivia | 1 Word