Unlocked
Time Space Warp #43
Hey—It’s Toffer.
There was a man in my meeting room.
I booked it. I swiped in. No one else should’ve been there.
But there he was—feet on the table, casually flipping what looked like a hotel keycard between his fingers.
It wasn’t my name on it.
“You’re late,” he said, grinning.
“I didn’t know we were meeting,” I replied.
“You didn’t,” he nodded. “That’s what made it interesting.”
Estimated read time: 2 minutes
He spun the keycard one last time and set it down.
It said: Suite 2015.
“You used to believe in things,” he said lightly, like he was commenting on the weather.
“That time was art. That work could feel like play. That you could build something without becoming someone else.”
I shifted. The room got quieter. Or maybe I did.
“You called it freedom,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “But lately you’ve been negotiating with fear. Impressive-looking compromises. Well-lit, nicely framed.”
He stood up, stretched like he had all the time in the world.
“What happened to the guy who didn’t wait for permission?” he asked.
“The one who knew how to bet on himself… before there was proof?”
I didn’t answer.
He didn’t wait.
Just walked out.
No swipe out.
I sat alone for a while.
The keycard was still on the table.
I flipped it over.
On the back, scribbled in messy pen:
“You were free before you were qualified.”
Your Friend in Time,
Toffer