enter image description here

Notes From an Amateur Writer #54

Today's post was inspired by the above photo, which I discovered as i was exploring the photo sharing website unsplash.com.

This is post 29 in @dragosroua's January 30 day writing challenge.

But First Coffee

Felix wandered out into the parched brown land. A barren landscape that resembled the condition of his brain this early in the morning. He had awoken unexpectedly early, and followed the same routine he always did, regardless of the unglodliness of the hour. Except something was amiss. The routine had been correct. The same steps had been performed. He had even ended up at the correct destination. And yet facing him was a nightmare – an empty container of coffee.

He tried to think through how such a thing could have occurred. To turn the brain around and return his memories to the point where the coffee jar appeared. To discover what he had been thinking that last time he used it, and returned it empty. Why would I do such a thing?

But Felix's brain was a haze. He couldn't return to the memories he sought. He struggled to return to any memories at all. His mind was blank. There was only one fuel that would give him the energy to accomplish such a task, and he was out of it. In fact it would do more than get his memory gears to start turning again, he needed it to do his job. I have no choice. I need to go get coffee. That's when he had stepped out of the house, and into a foreign landscape.

Felix surveyed the land around him. I don't remember it looking like this. Am I still dreaming? Is this a lack of coffee induced nightmare? He pondered the dry dull earth that stretched out beyond his front door. He wanted to get to the general store, but it was nowhere to be found. Everything had changed. He decided to wander out in the direction it used to be in. He started along the dirt track that etched its way down the hill from his house. I'm sure this was bitumen road yesterday. What is going on? He turned back to face his house. It was still there. Thank god for that.

A black crow flew by, landing on a nearby tree – one of the few that seemed to remain. Mostly devoid of leaves, Felix could see the bird clearly perched on a branch watching him approaching. He looked up and studied the bird carefully.

"Do you know where the general store has gone?" he asked, mostly in jest.

"Why do you ask?" said the crow. Felix stood frozen for a moment before answering the mysterious bird's question.

"I have run of of coffee."

"Why do you need it?"

This bird asks a lot of questions. Maybe he knows what has happened to make the land all barren. Perhaps I should ask him.

"I always start my day with coffee. It's like a ritual." Felix paused and watched as the bird seemed to be processing this information. "Do you know why the land has become so barren? It used to be lush and green. Well it was the last time I saw it."

"And when was that?"

"When was what?"

"The last time you saw this land?"

"Yesterday."

"Hmm, interesting," the crow said. "I don't believe I have ever seen you around here before."

"I've never seen you either," Felix told the bird. "In fact I've never met a talking crow before."

"Well I have no coffee, and I don't know where your general store is, but I can offer you a juicy worm. Are you hungry?"

"No thank you, I need coffee." Actually I need to know what happened to this world I'm in. My head must really be in a mess. How badly am I affected by this lack of my morning drink?

"Well I'm sorry I can't help you." The crow flew off leaving Felix alone in a foreign environment. He decided to continue walking in the direction that the store used to be.

"You are in a desperate search for coffee, I hear?" Felix looked around for the location of this new voice. It sounded squeaky, like a mouse, if mice could speak. Perhaps they can in this world.

"Yes I am," Felix said, still unsure where the voice had come from. He looked in one direction, then turned quickly to face the other, but saw no one. "Do you have any?" He felt like he was talking to the empty air.

"I'm down here." Felix hadn't thought to look down. The crow had been above him, the new voice was below him. No one is at eye level in this strange place. He looked down and saw the voice's owner. He looks like a garden gnome.

"Do you have coffee?" Felix asked.

"Of course I have coffee," the gnome responded as if it had been a silly question. Garden gnomes are coffee drinkers. Who would have thought it? "Come inside and I will make you some."

Felix looked at the garden gnome's little house, with it's tiny entrance door. I can't fit in there!

"Can you bring some out for me? It looks a little tight in there for me."

"Certainly. Wait right there and I will bring you some" The Gnome went inside and left Felix standing outside waiting for the coffee. Would it help? Would his world return to normal after that? This is all very strange. Perhaps I have become too addicted. Impossible!

The garden gnome returned back with two steaming cups of coffee. He handed Felix a mug that was small by his standards, but almost too big for the little gnome to carry. "This is the biggest mug I have, sorry. In case of stranded travellers. Like you. Stranded travellers tend to be much larger than me. And larger people need larger mugs I have found."

"This is fine," Felix said. "Although I may need a few of these to make up for my regular amount."

"Mi coffee, su coffee," said the gnome butchering his Spanish as best he could.

Felix drank his first mug of gnome delivered coffee quicker than he normally would under regular circumstances. But these were far from regular circumstances. He was brought a second mug to continue the awakening process. He could feel his brain switching into gear. The world started to show colour. The browns slowly morphed into shades of green. The gnome handed him a third and final drink. He sipped slowly, having felt the effects finally take effect. He put the mug down and looked around.

The world looked like it had yesterday. The road had returned. The gnome had disappeared, as had his little gnome house. Where had he gone? Time to get back home and get to work, now that I have fulfilled my morning ritual. Time to get that laptop out and start working. That next bestseller isn't going to write itself.

Images sources from unsplash.com and used with permission.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you liked it then please like, comment, and follow.