Click-Click-click

My nails tapped on the table top while I sat staring at the blank screen of my laptop. My brain was an empty nest that all the ideas flew out of already.

I took another sip of my coffee and surveyed the shop I sat in.

It was a cozy shop, not many people bustling about. Two staff stood behind the counter. One leaning at the register, a girl with black space buns and a ring on her bottom lips. The guy making drinks spilled one as my eyes shifted to the girl at the table next to mine.

She was humming; but it was barely noticeable over the screeching of a kettle from behind the counter. She wore a soft orange sweater but the sleeves were pushed up because it was a bit toasty inside. She paused her typing to push her black curls behind her ears then forged on typing like I should be. I sighed and turned from her looking towards the chestnut brown panel walls.

An older gentleman sat in the corner by the wall and read the papers folded out in front of him. He had a large coffee in one hand scoffing between sips. He must not like the news he’s reading. Every so often his nose would scrunch and he’s push up his thick glasses and lick the edge of his white mustache.

I turned back to my laptop. The screen still utterly white. I rubbed my palms against my eyelids and straightened my back. I would get a few chapters written today. I swear.

My eyes drifted again this time to look up to soft rain that pattered outside the window at the other side of my table.

The fall leaves slowly drifted into puddles that formed on the streets. It was so gloomy and grey. Such cozy fall weather. My hands grasped my coffee closer, the warmth edging out the ache of my hands. My eyes closed as I thought about sitting at home bundled in blankets watching movies.

When my eyes opened, black holes stared back.

I stood lightning quick, the jolt sending my chair to the floor and spilling coffee onto my laptop.

A thing stood at the glass. Waving it’s fingers at me. An umbrella kept it from getting wet, but also casted shadows over the thing. But I could just make out it’s honey disgusting face, hollow black eyes, lacking definition of a nose. A scarf pulled up over it’s mouth to hide what I was sure would look like a skeletons mouth.

The scarf traveled down to hide beneath a large long black leather coat.

It’s fingers continued to wiggle as a blue butterfly caressed it’s wrist.

I wanted to scream but instead I looked around like a bumbling idiot to see if anyone saw the thing too. They all looked at me crazy and made comments about ruining my laptop.

But nothing about the skeleton man.

I turned back to see he was gone but I did see an umbrella leaning across the outside wall by the door. A blue butterfly sat atop it. The skeleton man no where to be seen.

I sat back in my chair. Staring at the empty space before me.