Night Owls

Jerry glanced down at the photograph in his hand, then back up again at the woman sitting alone at the back of the cafe.

Her face had become weathered by the slow passage of time, her skin spotted with age, her cheeks hollowed and her lips thin, but her eyes carried the same, determined fire that matched with those of the young mother in the photograph.

All at once a blinding light coursed through the space. Jerry and the woman froze. And then a creature appeared, seemingly from the air itself.

The creature smiled kindly and asked Jerry, “I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into what awaits you. Are you ready to come home now?”