Two weeks later...

"Charlotte..."

Ugh... just five more minutes.

"Charlotte..."

Who on earth keeps calling my—?

"Huh?!"

I woke up with a start. This strange calling of my name had haunted me ever since that trip to the nonexistent coffee shop. The voice lingered even in my dreams, as though someone from there had called to me.

I sighed. I needed coffee—oh, right.

Dragging myself to the counter, I checked the calendar. October 31st. Halloween. I should feel excited; the office was doing a costume day, and I'd even planned something simple for it. But without my favorite coffee, even that felt hollow.

It was really over.

I opened the cupboard, staring at the empty, crinkled bag. But something looked strange. The coffee logo—the familiar black bean icon—now resembled a skull.

I shook my head and tossed the bag into the trash, trying to ignore the chill creeping over me.

Dressed and ready to go, I reached for my keys. And then, there it was again—a whisper.

"Charlotte..."

I froze, turning back. It must be my imagination. I'm not usually the imaginative type.

"What?" I glanced at the counter, half-expecting to see someone staring back. Ridiculous.

But a prickle of unease lingered. I opened the trash can. The bag was still there, and now the skull symbol seemed even clearer, the details sharp and menacing.

A shiver ran down my spine. I picked up the bag, stretching it to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me.

The skull seemed to twist and grin, deepening its creases.

"Charlotte..."

I dropped the bag, my pulse racing. Something felt wrong. Very wrong.

☕︎༯

I ran away from my own house, heart racing and head pounding like a drum. As I made my way to work, I tried to calm myself, but the pressure behind my eyes only worsened. The absence of coffee weighed heavily on me, a dull ache morphing into a throb echoing in my mind.

I stopped at Starbucks, hoping for a lifeline, but the coffee tasted like cardboard—bland and lifeless. It barely registered as a consolation; I finished it only because I despised wasting money, but the momentary comfort it provided slipped through my fingers like sand.

The day unfolded in a haze, each hour a blur of pointless chatter and laughter. My coworkers' lame screamers and cringey puns fell flat, and I forced a smile as they chattered about Halloween plans, but I felt... distant. I didn't belong in their laughter. I was alone, adrift.

"Charlotte!" A cheerful voice cut through the fog. Loisa bounced up to my desk, beaming.

"Hi," I managed, forcing the corners of my mouth upward.

"Did you get your costume ready? I can't wait to see what you came up with!"

"Uh, yeah. Just... something simple," I mumbled, not bothering to elaborate.

She frowned, tilting her head. "You sure? You've been quiet lately. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine. Just a bit tired."

Loisa narrowed her eyes, but thankfully, the phone rang, cutting her concern short.