Version Control

Coffee sounds great, Callie thought, getting ready to leave. Looking up at the clock, she saw she had more than enough time to stop at her favorite coffee stand before going in to work at the community center. 

Wallet, phone, keys. 

She patted each pocket as she went through her mental checklist before heading out the door—Coffee sounds great, Callie thought, pulling a thick pink sweater from her closet. The fall weather had turned to a wintery chill so quickly this year, a hot drink would be perfect on her walk to work. Any excuse for coffee.

Looking up at the clock, she saw she had more than enough time to stop at her favorite shop, The Chipped Mug.

Wallet, phone, keys. 

She patted each pocket as she went through her mental checklist before heading out the door.

A delicious smell of beans, roasted to perfection, filled Callie’s nose as she opened the door to Mug Half Full. The two baristas looked up and waved, bright smiles flashing when they saw who had come in. 

“The usual today, Callie?”

“Uhhh…” Callie approached the counter and looked up at the menu, pretending to consider her options, then laughed. “I’ll have the usual, yes.” 

“For a second there, I thought you might actually get something other than a cappuccino.”

“Jen!” Callie’s jaw dropped in mock astonishment, her hand coming up to cover her heart for extra drama. “You know I can’t live without the frothy foam.”

Both women stared at each other, lips pressed into thin lines, waiting for the other to react first—Callie’s face turned cherry red and Jen’s eyes started to water. A few seconds passed before they both snorted and erupted into a fit of giggles. 

“Excuse me, ma’am. This is your order.”

Callie looked at the woman behind the counter who was staring right at her and holding a large boba tea.

Confused, Callie stepped forward.

“Uh, yes—” she looked at the woman’s name tag, hoping the extra effort to call this person by name would negate any potential for confrontation. “Hi, Jen.” Callie fidgeted with the hem of her sweater as she drew up whatever dregs of courage she could find. “I thought I ordered a cappuccino?”

Jen blew a bubble with her gum and popped it. “This is a boba shop, not a coffee shop.”

Callie unfolded the balled up receipt in her fist and saw the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Tea listed in ink. “Oh. Okay. Uhh—thanks.” She grabbed the cup and snatched a straw from the dispenser, tucking her chin into the high neck of her sweater in some attempt to hide the cherry red cheeks of her embarrassment.

Outside, Callie felt beads of sweat beginning to form and soak into her sweater within moments of leaving the boba shop. She could have sworn her weather app had said it would be in the 40’s today. Instead, the sun seemed intent on melting anything its rays touched. She would just have to borrow a t-shirt from the donation bin at the community center. 

When she went to push up her sleeves, Callie touched bare skin. She looked down and—Boba sounds great, Callie thought, pulling an airy, pink blouse with no sleeves from the closet. She’d yet to wear this one and hoped the material was breathable. The summer heat has been merciless this year. 

Looking up at the clock, Callie realized she was running late. No time to decide if the top was the right fit, she needed to go.

Wallet, phone, keys. 

She patted each pocket as she went through her mental checklist before heading out the door.

Purse, wallet, phone, keys. 

She went through her mental checklist before heading out the door again.

Again? Callie realized she’d had another deja vu experience. It had been happening more and more frequently. She'd find herself in familiar places, but they’re different. She'd do things multiple times, sometimes feeling like the guy in Groundhog Day—repeating the same day of her life with small changes each time. 

Maybe she would make an appointment with her doctor. The stress from work had been taking its toll and Callie knew she wasn’t doing the best at taking care of herself. She made a mental note to deal with that later, and kept running to the convention center for her shift.

At the door, Callie froze. 

Why can’t I move? What am I even doing here?

Callie stood, locked in her mind for what felt like weeks. Her body remained still as a statue and nothing around her seemed to change. No one walked by and saw her standing there. The sun kept beating down on her exposed skin, but she didn’t seem to burn. And the hand that wasn’t reaching for the door felt really cold—like when she held iced coffee. She thought she’d run straight here, skipping The Chipped Mug… 

Laces pulled Calliopa’s corset until it encased her tight enough to steal her breath. The monstrous dress hanging in her wardrobe required her waist to disappear, but still somehow hold a dozen layers of silk and glittering lace. Still, Calliopa gasped in air and drew her stomach in as much as she could while the laces gave one last tug. Her engagement dress, gifted to her by her father, was a piece of art. She would let the corset crack her ribs if need be to wear it to the ball. 

No, wait. What was she thinking? Calliopa didn’t know why she thought she’d already secured a husband. The ball tonight was intended for her to field suitors and determine who among them would make a satisfactory king-consort. 

She needed a cup of one of that new bitter drink to waker her up. Her kingdom needed her to— “Suck it up, buttercup.”

Pain flared across Callinda’s rib cage as a booted foot crashed into her. She gasped, grabbing her side and feeling blood trail down from her nose, into her mouth. The sweetness of the sanguine fluid flooded her taste buds and sated Calleen’s hunger as she drank from her victim.

She pulled back from the human’s neck to look into the pretty, young girl’s eyes. The terror she saw there fulfilled another craving. “Don’t worry, buttercup.” the vampiress crooned, “it’ll all be just fine.” 

Skating her finger across the woman’s plump lips, Callie shivered in anticipation. Stars blinked above them as they stared into each other’s eyes on the picnic blanket. Jen agreeing to go on a date with Callie already felt like a dream she’d had. Now, after a magical evening, she might finally kiss the cute barista she’d been crushing on for months. 

Callie leaned in slowly, not wanting to rush this moment. Closing her eyes—She patted each pocket as she went through her mental checklist before heading out the door.

Purse, wallet, phone, keys. 

The corset boning dug into Calliopa’s skin—

"—Callie Fields to control, we have a problem." 

Iced coffee splashed over her feet—warm blood soaking into her dress. 

Fear overtook Callinda.

Calleen

Callie ran to first base.

—Calleen smiled.

Calliopa.

Heavy skirts swishing, Calliopa danced—.

Callie.

—Callie.

“Callie… Callie?”

Firm hands shook Callie’s shoulders. The community center door stood open, a handful of young faces peeking around the frame with apprehension. Jenn rubbed her shoulders as Callie came around. Worry etched into the barista’s face while her hands eased the tension from Callie’s stiff muscles. 

“W-what happened?” Her throat scratched, the vocal cords sounding disused. Callie tried to make sense of where she was. It seemed like so long since she’d been here—she couldn’t remember much of what she was doing before. 

Jenn bit her lip, looking even more concerned. 

“You forgot your coffee. I came to give it to you, but uh—” Jenn and Callie looked down between their feet. A paper cup lay turned on its side, a trail of coffee spilling towards a black plastic lid.

“Sorry, I dropped it when I saw you standing there like that.” 

Callie stood in silence, picking at the hem of her fluffy, green sweater. Her mind still spiraled around a feeling of too much information, yet she couldn’t pull out a single detail about—well, anything! Nausea tore through her stomach, flipping it in endless somersaults. It was all so overwhelming.

She raised her arms and threw her head back to scream at the sky, “Who am I?”