Leighton's POV
I sat in the café, staring at the clock. It was three minutes before 5pm the time everything would freeze until 6 pm. It all started with a birthday gift from Martell, a clock that brought this strange pause.
Exactly at 5pm, the café froze. People stopped moving, here in the cafe. Then Natasha walked in, breaking the eerie silence.
"Natasha!" I called out, she seemed shocked, ignoring my attempt to talk.
"Something weird happened," she mumbled, still processing the scene.
"Not you again," Natasha exclaimed, turning away from me and almost leaving.
"Wait, let me make you a coffee," I offered, starting to prepare her favorite macchiato. She hesitated but eventually returned and stepped inside.
"Leighton, do you own this place? What's wrong with everyone? Why aren't they moving?" Natasha's voice trembled, eyes wide with confusion and concern as she looked around.
"Yes, I do. But first, have your macchiato," I suggested, hoping it would help calm her down. Natasha sat, taking a sip and scanning the café again. She closed her eyes briefly, opening them to find nothing had changed.
"This place gives me chills. How did you know I love macchiatos?" Natasha asked, taking pictures of the motionless scene.
"I asked Martell," I admitted, trying to ease the tension.
"Let's go to the amusement park. Join me. You might enjoy it," I suggested, wanting to distract her.
"Why should I go with you?." Natasha hesitated.
"Trust me. We're the only ones moving now. Let's make the most of it," I reassured her, convincing her to come along.
"Okay, fine," Natasha sighed, joining me in the car. The drive was quiet. She wore headphones, lost in her thoughts while I reminisced about Eliana, always listening to music like her.
Arriving at the amusement park, vibrant colors and playful music greeted us. Natasha requesting a photo with the cotton candy vendor as soon as we stepped inside. I chuckled, capturing her excitement on camera. I laughed because I zoomed in the camera, and it just focused on her whole face.
"Why are you laughing?" Natasha asked, puzzled.
"Nothing," I replied, handing back her phone and trying to maintain the mood.
Natasha reached for her phone again, to check the picture. I playfully kept it out of her reach, reminding her to pay the entrance fee.
"Pay first," I reminded her, heading towards the ticket booth.
"Why bother? No one will notice," Natasha reasoned, not willing to paying the fee.
In the carnival games area, Natasha's suddenly look happy as we played ring toss and won a stuffed animal. We moved to the Ferris wheel, where she clutched my arm during the ascent, laughing at the view from the top.
"Hey, free popcorn," Natasha exclaimed, only to grimace after tasting it.
"That's rude," I teased, taking the popcorn from her. We explored the haunted house next, posing for goofy photos with the fake monsters before she returned the cowboy hat she playfully took.
In the car, it was 5:50 pm. We waited as everything returned to normal.
"Leighton, what are you doing here?" Martell asked, surprised to see me.
"Nothing," I replied casually.
"Natasha, let's meet at Dream Bean café tomorrow," I suggested with a wink.
Natasha nodded, smiling. "Sure," she agreed softly.
As the sun set, we said our goodbyes. Walking home, I felt a connection with Natasha, bridged by a strange day frozen in time a connection.