The Magic Within

Visions

Elise arrived at 8 on the dot. She didn’t know why she daydreamed like she did. Her parents always warned her that her daydreaming would get into the way of real life. She knew her parents loved and cared for her and only wanted to see her do well. Pushing her thoughts aside, Elise put on her apron and started to arrange all of the tables and chairs. She started a kettle of water and popped fresh bread into the oven. It was Thursday, so her morning would be slow. She had learned the ins and outs of this pub and knew all of the locals. It was a very rare occasion that someone new ever came in. Her small county was comfortable but uninteresting to say the least. With the final morning task done, she walked to the oven to remove the bread. Just then the overhead bell rang signaling that her first customer had arrived. Elise called over her shoulder “Be right with you.” Mr. Langley responded “No bother”, and seated himself at his usual table beside the front door. He liked to see who entered the pub, and it was the best seat to hear the local gossip. He was as bad as any henpecked woman when it came to gossip. His wife had passed four years ago, and his two children lived two counties over. He was a homely looking man but never missed an opportunity to flirt with a pretty girl. Elise returned from the kitchen. “The usual, Mr Langley?” She asked. “You know me so well” he responded. “Coming right up!” She walked to the window to let the cook know his order. While putting in his order, she began to stare deep into space. She was in the forest with an unknown man. They were wrapped in an embrace. She could feel his arms around her waist and could hear the sweet nothings he whispered into her ear. She could feel the heat of his skin and smell the forest air around them. There was an energy in the air that overpowered her senses. It was almost magical.

Elise…Elise… the cook called. She finally came to. “Are you alright” he asked. A bit embarrassed she responded “Yes. I’m sorry, I barely slept last night.” Not knowing what else to say, she turned and walked to Mr Langley. “Your order will be ready soon. How are your children?” “Oh they’re just fine. A new little lass in on the way. Just found out last evening.” He told her. “How exciting” Elise responded. “You look a bit tired this morning” Mr Langley said. “Yes, I didn’t sleep well last night” she said. “Well a beautiful young girl like you shouldn’t have any reasons to fret!” He said smiling at her. “Oh Mr Langley you always cheer me up. Let me get your breakfast for you” she said with a smile She left to go to the pick up window.

After delivering his plate and filling his glass she walked into the small office. She sat on the chair and wondered what had happened to her that caused her to daydream in the middle of putting in an order. She knew she wasn’t sleeping well, but it didn’t seem like it was from lack of sleep. It had felt so real. This wasn’t the first time this happened to her. However it never happened at work or while she was out. Something told her that this was quite different from everything she experienced. After pondering it over for a few minutes, she walked back into the dining area.

Mr. Langley left cash to cover his meal on the table and had already left. That was his way. She had eleven more customers throughout breakfast and lunch and was ready to end her shift. She tidied all of the dining area and washed all of the dishes. She was just counting the drawer when the bell told her she wouldn’t be leaving after all.

She looked up from what she was doing and saw an unfamiliar face. This man was not from around here. She’d never seen him before. “Hi. How are you?” She asked. The man responded “fine, for now” For some reason Elise had an odd feeling and didn’t want to be alone with him. “We were just ending lunch and preparing for dinner. What can I get you?” She asked. “A Guinness” he responded. She walked to the tap and started pulling the beer. She could feel his eyes on her like daggers. She got goosebumps and felt like she wanted to run away as fast as possible. She walked back over to the man and placed his beer in front of him. He caught her hand, and she could feel an almost shock from him. She quickly pulled her hand away and asked if she could get him anything else. With a nod of his head answering no, she walked to the kitchen to talk with the cook. “I’m sorry about earlier. This lack of sleep is catching up with me.” She told him. “No bother. You should go home and rest. It’ll be slow this evening, so Ava and I can handle it.” He told her. “You sure then?” She asked. She had never taken a shift off before. Truth be told work kept her occupied and busy. If not for the job she’d probably go crazy trying to figure out how to escape this county. “I’m sure. Now go!” he said.

As she came from the kitchen, the stranger was still sitting there, beer barely touched. “Was it a bad pull? Would you like anything else?” Elise asked. She decided she was just being hesitant because of what happened earlier in the day. “No. I’ll just be on my way. Thanks for the beer.” He put cash on the bar and walked out. “What a weird one,” she thought to herself. She put the cash into the till and called out to say her goodbyes.