The Letter

A backpack is slammed into a nearby chair.

*The sound of a coffee machine is brewing on a countertop.*

Time felt as if it were at a standstill. No more than a brief second in a stopless motion. Frustration was brewing at the same rate as the coffee machine.

“Ah, I need to get my phone!” a voice says in frustration. Looking around every inch of her apartment, a young nurse was trying to find the one item that bridged her connection to the world. A cell phone.

*A slight ring goes off in the background.*

Frustrated, she finds her phone hidden in the cracks of the sofa cushions. She grabs her phone, feeling that today was already imperfect. The unfortunate events that have occurred this morning were very much inconveniences for her to bear. It was one thing after another. First, a leaking toilet. A broken A/C in the summer heat and a broken dryer that did not dry clothes thoroughly. The week had just begun, and it was proving to be catastrophic.

Grabbing her backpack, the young nurse rushed out the door.

She did not realize that the coffee was brewing on the countertop at the scheduled time, as part of her normal morning routine to start the day.

She stopped in her tracks as she noticed something unusual: a letter!

A letter at this early hour? It was only 5:40 A.M. Receiving a letter this early in the morning was very unusual. She picked the letter up and immediately rushed down the stairs towards her car. The morning was somewhat drowsy and cold. It felt depressing for some reason. It was as if there was no movement or life in the neighborhood. As if everyone had vanished.

Her hands reached for the car door, and in that moment, a jolt of electricity surged through her, pushing her away from the car. “What the—!” she shouted. The morning air was cool, and there was no reason for such a strange occurrence. She reached for the door handle again, expecting the same thing to happen, but nothing happened this time. The morning was proving to be very unusual.

She opened her car door and placed her things down, forgetting that the most outlandish event to have occurred this morning was receiving a letter. Looking down at the letter, she saw her name, but it was written in sluggish handwriting. Weary of what’s to come of this exchange, if this event couldn’t prove to be any weirder for someone who experienced all the unfortunate events of the morning.

Opening the envelope revealed words that she never thought would pierce her heart with frantic panic.

“DO NOT GO TO WORK TODAY!”

At this moment, the young nurse remembered the faint sound of coffee brewing on her countertop.