Moments of Clarity

The clang of the diner’s bell above the door jolted Alex back to the present, the acrid smell of stale coffee and frying bacon momentarily eclipsing the phantom scent of cordite that clung to his memory. He’d been staring at the chipped Formica tabletop, his fingers tracing invisible patterns, lost in a haze that had become his constant companion. Sarah’s voice, bright and insistent, cut through the fog.

“You’re miles away again, Al. Did you even hear what I said?” She pushed a plate piled high with pancakes and syrup towards him, her brow furrowed with that familiar blend of concern and exasperation.

He blinked, forcing his gaze to focus on her. Sarah. His sister. Her presence was a tether, a fragile anchor in the churning sea of his mind. He managed a tight smile. “Sorry, Sar. Just… thinking.”