Racing to the Elevator, Stuck in a Pink‑Sky Coffee Shop

Racing to the Elevator, Stuck in a Pink‑Sky Coffee Shop

I was late for work again, sprinting down the hallway of my apartment building, but every door I tried was locked. When I finally got to the lobby, the elevator was full of strangers, and the only open door led to a coffee shop I didn't recognize. I stepped in, and the barista was my old high‑school crush, Alex, wearing a uniform like a nurse’s but also a delivery driver’s cap. He smiled, and I felt that familiar flutter, but then he handed me a latte and said, "You forgot your keys again." I fumbled in my bag, pulling out a phone that kept buzzing with missed calls from my roommate. The shop's windows showed the street outside, but the sky was a strange shade of pink, and the clock on the wall kept running backwards. I tried to ask Alex where I was, but his voice turned into my mom's, telling me not to be late for the meeting. I woke up just as I was about to hand him the coffee, heart racing and cheeks hot.