Suddenly, smooth jazz. A muted piano played some kind of classical in the background, each note a soft clash against an equally muffled horn. On the table in front of him sat a gray porcelain cup, neatly decorated with a hand-drawn painting of flowers. The cup was filled with a dark murky brown liquid and it had the stench of what was undoubtedly the strongest cup of coffee known to man. On one end of the table was a plate filled with those cheap creamer packets with a bright orange label that read French Vanilla with a picture of disembodied hands pouring cream. On the other end of the table, there was the end of the table.

Theo was not alone in this booth.

Her attention was occupied by a menu in her hands. It was a simple dark brown, with gold lettering on it.

"I've decided. A cappuccino, please. Brewed a bit stronger", Her left hand was tapping away at the corner of her menu. "A touch less foam as well". After she finished ordering, the menu disappeared into a fine off-white mist and reformed into a cappuccino. She slowly reached towards the condiments section. She lingered on sugar for a moment but settled on a dash of salt. The crystals floated softly over the surface until her spoon shooed them away into the subsurface coffee ghettos. The direct impact of spoons on mostly peaceful salt crystals yet no no news coverage. Shocking.

"Ah, I suppose I should acknowledge you."

"...You're the one I talked to on the first day right?"

She sighed.

"I'm talking to you, you can talk.......right?"

"Yes, I'm Talk.", upon hearing his response her eyes stopped scanning the background and settled right upon his own. He shifted his gaze to her shoulders. Her right arm came up slowly, her elbow resting upon the table, "Wait no sorry I'm Theo".

"So, Theo, what brings you here?", her hand curled into a fist so that her cheek could rest upon it.

"Huhuh why am I here? I don't know I just woke up and I was here and you were here and really pretty and this coffee was here and then..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lily melted away. It started in her hands, at her wrists. Like there was some kind of smoke blowing out of the cuffs of her jacket. It grew larger and larger, quickly enveloping her, the table, and everything else. Soon enough, it swallowed him whole, and left him in a gray void. It was darkening.

A hallow, high pitched, wheeze similar to the laugh of a hyena bounced around inside of Theo's ears like it was vibrating straight into the bone itself and up into his brain.

Theo woke up to a clear white ceiling tile staring back at him from far away. Around his sides was a pale blue curtain maintaining a respectful viewing distance. He slowly tried to sit up, only to be met with a blaring pain in his head. It caused him to yelp out in pain.

The curtain's were yanked away by a young woman dressed in a simple white dress and a white cap with a single black line sown across it.

"Ah I see you've woken up. Wait just a minute sir, Brenda will be here for your cognitive exam."

Brenda was at least seven feet tall, with enough muscles to put most drugged out body builders to shame. The veins in her arms were thick and bulging, like garden hoses filled with so much water that they were ready to burst.

She was also wearing a plain white dress and cap, but in addition to that she also had an apron on.

"Can you tell me your name?" Her voice was soft and warm, and not too far off from how his grandmother sounded. She went through the questions slowly, while observing him with gentle eyes. "Right. Although you failed parts of the cognitive test, it doesn't look like you had a concussion. If you have any pain during the day just put some ice on it. If it get's really bad we can give you some painkillers....Now you are free to go. Mrs. Thorne came by earlier and told us to send you to her office once you woke up. Do you need directions?". Theo nodded his head. From behind a secret region, Brenda pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. She quickly began writing out instructions. "Here you go. Have a good day and stay safe." She handed him the paper and went off to other patients in the ward.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Theo stayed for only a moment, then slowly leaned himself up and off of the bed.

He put one foot in front of the other, and soon he'll be walking out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Theo arrived at his destination

A closed door stood before him. It was dark, some kind of oak, with a single gold plaque hanging on the front of it, "E. Thorne". Theo was shivering in a warm hallway.

"Come in, Mr. Barnes.", the voice stepped through the door and adjusted the thermostat a few degrees lower. Without giving any kind of response, Theo quickly opened the door into the office. "Have a seat." There was a single wooden chair with some dark leather cushioning. In fact, the entire office was extremely dark. There was: a bookshelf, filled with various titles and reports. A map of the campus. A computer and desk combo that Mrs. Thorne was sitting at, filled with neatly stacked papers and writing utensils. "Sit down." Mrs. Thorne was focused on the computer, typing up some kind of email. "I take it you have recovered from your fall? I have already made plans and would find it rather disturbing if they were disrupted for such a reason." She did not pause at all from her work while talking to him.

"Um, Ye-yes ma'am. The doctor said no concussion". Theo had decided while speaking that the desk was the safest place to look.

"Wonderful. Then there will be no issue-", her typing paused, "-You entered a restricted area, Mr. Barnes." Her chair creaked as it spun."You are going to be expelled, Mr. Barnes."

Theo sat in that chair, looking down at the desk. His hands were...cupped. The hem of his pants was tightly caught up in their grip. You could see and count every single vein in his hands, his arm, his neck. His entire body. Shaking, pushing, struggling.

Tap-Tap-Tap-Tick.

Tap-Tap-Tap-Tick.

Her fingernails were neatly trimmed. To all the freaks out there who were concerned with that information, you're welcome. I'm looking at you, person who's name rhymes with dip.

Tap-Tap-Tap-Tick.

"No! I can't! I can't! I can't go!"

Tap-Tick-Tick-tap.

"I'll make you a deal, Mr. Barnes."

"As I am so very...Gracious. 5pm. Every day, here. Are we clear, Mr. Bar-nes?"

Theo sat, this entire time, still staring at the desk. He was like a kitten, shrinking himself as much as he could into the corner of the chair. Trying to occupy as little space as possible. His hand's were shaking.

"Silence equals expulsion."

"Yes ma'am!" Theo squeakingly squeaked .

"You know what happens if you are late, right?" The corners of her lips drew higher and higher across her face, the edges of her eyes grew tighter and tighter. Slowly. "Now get out of my office. Now."

He sat, unmoving. Glued, trapped, cornered.

"I said go!", Theo scrambled out the door better than most scrambled eggs could, because eggs don't have legs.

Later in his dorm room

The mattress was cold. The blanket was too thin, the linen unwashed. Nasty.

Theo stood up, and began pacing around,"Mom will understand, right?"

His pace was quick, like a mosquito.

"She won't be mad"

His voice was annoying, like a mosquito.

"She'll understand"

His mouth was puckered, like an ant eater.

"All I have to do is mention middle school"

Theo has achieved the great feat of five laps around his room.

His breath is running thin.

"it'll be fine"

Theo was out of breath.

There was a loud, distant ringing of the bell tower. Twelve times it rang. Probably.

It was Monday and Theo was alone in his room.