Chasing Maya at the Latte Stand Through Shifting Floors

Chasing Maya at the Latte Stand Through Shifting Floors

I woke up late for work and sprinted down the hallway of my apartment building, but every door I tried opened onto a different floor. Finally I burst out onto the street and saw my old college roommate, Maya, waiting at a coffee stand we used to frequent. She was wearing a navy suit, but her face kept flickering between hers and my ex‑girlfriend’s. We both laughed, then she handed me a latte and said, “You forgot your keys again.” I reached into my pocket and felt a cold metal object, but when I pulled it out it was a tiny, broken watch. Maya smiled, “You’ll find the right time eventually.” I tried to explain the dream‑logic, but the coffee shop turned into the office lobby, and the boss was behind the counter, asking me for the report I never finished. I panicked, tripped over a stack of folders, and the whole place swayed like a subway car. Then I woke up, heart pounding, still half‑holding the taste of the latte.