Hindsight is 20-20

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

7^th January, 2024

All Rights Reserved.

This Week's Writing Challenge: "Hindsight is 20-20."

Elara's entrance into the cafe was met with a cacophony of sounds and smells that threatened to overwhelm the young Red Deer's senses. Patrons were engaged in conversations or consumed by whatever social media or other things they watched on their phones or tablets.

Her emerald green eyes, akin in colour to the new spring leaves, scanned the bustling cafe. Tantalising scents of freshly baked pastries and other delightful pleasantries filled her nostrils, mixed with the scent of the freshly ground coffee beans.

Yet Elara couldn't seem to shake the sense of ambiguous unease that tickled her reddish-brown fur, almost making it stand on end. It was nebulous, ambiguous, yet surrounded her like an ethereal blanket she couldn't shake off.

Approaching the counter, Elara's senses sharpened even more than normal, both tubular ears twitching too and fro, her leathery nostrils flaring slightly. Without a word, the barista slid over a bowl, and the heavenly aroma of Elara's favourite coffee washed away any fears.

“Mmm, Woodland Spice," Elara sighed in pleasure, as she wrapped her paws around the bowl, her hooflets clicking lightly on it. “Thank -"

Not even acknowledging the thanks, the barista moved off.

“Rude - “ Elara snorted softly. “Then again, they're pretty busy today, so -"

Elara's whisker's twitched and her left ear rotated one hundred and eighty degrees as a minute tremble ran from the base of her skull to her tail tip – someone was behind her...

“Excuse me," A voice, rich deep and masculine, sliced through the noise of the other customers, like a ice-breaker through a sea ice floe.

Elara's heart skipped a beat, her whole body involuntarily twitching, more instinctual than anything. Cervid were of high awareness of their environment and hearing – so she should have smelt, or heard, his approach... there was nothing.

“My apologies," He spoke quietly, as stepped up beside her, then gestured at the stool. “May I? I did not mean to startle you, young one."

Cautiously, Elara glanced sideways, her stomach still somewhere in the back of her throat, or so it felt. A mixture of ancestral instinct fought with her rational mind.

Her furtive glance took in his appearance. He stood a few inches taller than Elara herself, her nostrils sniffed the air and found themselves only filled with the scent of herself, the delicious coffee she still held, and the myriad of pastries and other delightful delicacies.

He wore an impeccably tailored suit and tie, yet the cut and fashion itself was, whilst fashionable and clean, seemed strangely out of place and style.

Elara gestured with one paw, as she tentatively took a sip from the bowl and set it down, forcing her quivering fingers to calmness.

“Thank you," He smiled, then sat himself and turned fully to face her.

Elara's eyes widened slightly, as she seen the colour of his. Never in her life, had she seen eyes like that – an enigmatic grey, that whilst appearing kindly and wise, also further made her more animal-like mind become hyper alert, forcing herself to suppress it.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mortimer, Edward Mortimer - “ He held his kidskin gloved hand out towards her. Please, call me Mortimer."

Awkwardly, Elara turned her stool and held her paw out. Her instincts urged caution, something about this man – yet politeness and social courtesy were expected.

Besides, you're in a very busy cafe, really, stop being a scared little fawn – nothing will happen and you know it! Her rational mind told her.

He tenderly took her paw, lightly squeezing it and giving a shake before he released her.

“I'm Elara," Elara smiled nervously, placing her paw back on the counter.

He smiled again, then nodded politely. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance Ms. Elara, Yes, I'm familiar with the Cervid – how your kind do not take surnames, I find it one of many fascinating things."

Elara brushed it off politely, it wasn't uncommon, but the wording he used seemed – strange and out of place. Humanity and the other races had existed for thousands of years, so why single this out with such an archaic comment?

Elara distracted herself with another sip from her coffee, quickly turning the background voices and sounds out, as she herself turned more attentions towards this strange, enigmatic man.

Her natural intuition and senses still tingled with inexplicable foreboding and tension, so she reaffirmed herself mentally that she was safe and surrounded by witnesses.

You're being fawn-like, stop it. Elara's mind told the more animalistic nature.

“I've encountered quite a few of your people. They possess a kind, gentle spirit," Mortimer spoke quietly, his voice gentle and soothing, yet hinting at a deeper understanding.

Elara managed a weak smile, her left ear twitching in response to this unexpected familiarity with her people.

“Sure, for the most part, we're very diverse, much like humanity itself. Different sizes, appearances and temperaments – even different species, Ed...forgive me. Please forgive my hesitation in addressing you by your given name. We've only just met."

His smile grew and he waved the awkwardness away with a gentle flick of his hand.

“Of course. Your people are known far and wide for their courteousness which is admirable. Cervid are, by and large, more attuned to their natural – essence – shall we say. Your ancestral instincts. I can only begin to touch the barest surface in my imagination, of the depth of experiences your kind have."

“Humanity," Elara muttered softly, then smiled to make it seem a lot less awkward than she felt. “Has its own remnants of ancient instincts."

“They do," Mortimer admitted, looking down at the counter for a moment. “Yet it is a mere flicker of primal memories. Humanity's memories are not – passed on like your own, they've been diluted and altered over millennia."

He gave a quiet sigh.

“Their connection has all but been severed, withered and desiccated, lost amidst the sands of time itself."

Elara's eyes narrowed slightly. “How so? You speak of humanity's loss," Elara pondered, resting her chin on her right paw as she leaned a little closer. “Do you believe yourself, and humanity in general, oblivious to this, unaware of all that they have lost – or even forsaken?"

He turned his head to look sideways at her, his eyes seemingly trying to pierce the veil of time itself.

“Humanity's blindness is deliberate. They've become blind, casting aside their ancestral memories with each generation, blinded by their feelings of worth and self-aggrandisement, most of all – their steadfast belief in themselves."

A tremble rippled down Elara's spine at the words he chose to articulate. His whole demeanour and words seemed so out of place, it only heightened her own instinctual instincts within her.

“I do not feel they, humanity that is, is completely lost. Some still, in their way, yearn for what was lost – and even fewer, seek to try and recover that which was misplaced – as I do not feel it has been truly forgotten."

He glanced at her, the edges of his lips curling slightly – whether mocking her, or agreeing with her, Elara wasn't sure.

“It is true, some souls seek the echoes from the past, yet I fear their whispers are drowned out in the tumultuous sea of the modern world."

Elara's senses flared within her, her teardrop like tail frizzling out, the trickle of fear down her spine suddenly threatening to burst into a torrent. Something about his words settled on her, realisation slowly spreading over her whole body and she came to realise their conversation had transcended the mundane – yet she had no recollection of when and how.

As she lifted up the bowl, she noticed it was empty – strange – it felt like only moments ago that she had received it, yet it was as empty and clean as if it'd never been used. Her eyelids widened, as her ears twitched and she slowly turned her head to the left and right, suddenly noticing the cafe had fallen silent...

Mortimer sighed and pulled both gloves off and gently laid them down on the counter.

“I wish we had more time, your conversation and thoughts have been insightful Ms. Elara, thank you."

He placed a hand on her wrist and bowed his head to her.

“What..." Elara gasped, then moved to push herself back from the counter, only to find her paws slipping straight through it. “NO...what's going on..."

A terrifying surge swept through and over her, as Mortimer stood and picked up his gloves, tucking them into his suit pocket.

“No, what's going on – I've been -"

Mortimer shook his head. “Drugged? No... I am sorry Elara, for what it is worth, truly, I have enjoyed our time together. Sadly, your mortal body no longer has need of your soul. I am here, to help you cross over. I am a Spirit, like you, here to guide you safely into the afterlife."

“This is some..." Elara squealed, her paws trying to grasp at the bowl, the counter – anything.

All around her, the cafe dissolved into a haze, then into particles, then nothing...leaving herself and Mortimer standing in what felt like infinity itself – a timeless void.

“They say hind sight is 20-20 - Yet you never see it coming..." Mortimer spoke quietly, as he gently took the sobbing doe's paw in one hand. “Rest now, you have nothing to fear Elara...

With that, he lead her into the hereafter...

END