Travis dropped his pen on the desk and pushed himself up from his chair with enough force to rattle his monitor. “Come on, not again.” He yanked open the printer and dislodged the crumpled sheet.
He sat back down and clicked the print icon three more times, jabbing at it like it might learn a lesson. Finally, the printer whirred. He glanced at the time and sighed. He was due on the third floor for the quarterly performance review. He couldn’t be late again. Not this quarter. He grabbed his phone and the earnings sheet and stood up, banging his knee on the corner of his desk. He winced and half-hopped toward the door. Great. The elevator was still in the basement. No time to wait.
He pulled open the stairwell door and started up by twos…but then stopped.
There was a faint crackling sound from the landing below.
He glanced at his watch. Ninety seconds. Maybe less. He took another step upward, paused, then felt something behind his ribs. Not pain exactly. Pressure. Like someone tapping gently from the inside.
The crackling grew louder. The air vibrated faintly. Warm.
He closed his eyes for a beat, deciding. He’d been waiting for a sign, though he’d never have admitted it aloud. Then he turned and descended to the lower landing.
It was a burning bush.
Flames leapt red and blue, dancing up through branches that didn’t blacken or smoke. The green leaves shimmered, untouched. A soft, pulsing glow reflected off the concrete walls.
Travis stood still. The stairwell was silent but for the hum of flame.
He felt something…not a voice in his ears, exactly, but in his chest. A recognition. A knowing. Like someone saying his name without sound. His breath caught. He could feel the calendar of his life rearranging itself.
He looked down at his shoes. A moment passed.
Then he bent, slowly, and removed them.
Zary Fekete grew up in Hungary. He has a debut novella (Words on the Page) out with DarkWinter Lit Press and a short story collection (To Accept the Things I Cannot Change: Writing My Way Out of Addiction) out with Creative Texts. He enjoys books, podcasts, and many many many films. Twitter and Instagram: @ZaryFekete Bluesky:zaryfekete.bsky.social
Good story! You can read my recovery piece at https://thehumannarrative.org/fog
ReplyDeleteKeep writing!