Harriot

September 26th, 2019 | Fiction

"Comp' died." Jake said staring down at his coffee cup.

"What?" Daniel turned to face Jake. "Someone died? Comp?" Daniel's brow furrowed and his eyes locked onto Jake.

"No, not a person. My computer." Jake's eyes stayed down.

"Oh geez, Jake."

"I built it myself, 'bout eight years ago. She helped me." Jake looked up and away, catching a passing car by chance. He noticed the sound it made as it went by; an avalanche of noises really. He had previously tuned out all the passing cars but now felt overwhelmed at how loud they all sounded in his head.

"Oh so that's what you're really thinking about." Daniel turned back to face away to the side from Jake. The two men sat uncomfortably at the metal table and chairs outside their local Starbucks. Their coffees no longer getting colder, just remaining cold. "Did you end up ever seeing her again after--"

"No, never saw her again. Alex said he heard she moved, Missouri or Arkansas. Somewhere like that." Jake's eyes darted back down to his cup, he took a sip from his cold coffee and didn't react.

"Well that was a long time ago, man. I don't really think it's worth thinking about too much."

"You're probably right." Jake looked towards the sky to see the swirl of reds and pinks and blues and greys. He wondered if the sunset would look the same when it got to her.