Whispers Caught in the Wind

On the margins of a Tuesday afternoon, the world slowed just enough for clarity. Coffee stains mingled with uncertain lines, rehearsed doodles of clouds and clocks, sketches trapped within their ticking confines.

A double espresso and a soft hum of a ceiling fan kept time as she crafted her puzzles—each letter rearranged, each word a riddle to unravel, coaxing curiosity into the mundane. A ciphered note slipped between pages of forgotten unspoken words.

Wklv lv d whvw phvvdjh.

Ciphers on pages, like footprints in sand. Etched moments of clarity too fleeting to hold. The clock ticked, but here it paused, breathing life into the spaces between lines.