Land of the Coffeasts

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In the dimly lit attic of my grandmother's old Victorian house, I was on a mission to declutter and rediscover family relics hidden among dusty cardboard boxes and worn-out furniture. With every forgotten item I unearthed, nostalgia wrapped itself around me like a cosy blanket.

Don't judge me but I had been known as the black sheep of the family who was shipped off to stay with my grandmom because no one - not even my parents - would take me in based on my reputation as a renowned hot head. But even at that, I was scarcely home and did not really know much about where she kept the family jewels.

Now that she was dead, I was interested in making it all mine. But little did I know that the most bizarre, and perhaps the most incredible, discovery of my life was about to unfold.

As I rummaged through the bins containing old photo albums, dishevelled toys, and forgotten trinkets, my fingers brushed against something cold and clammy. Startled, I pulled my hand back, only to feel a firm grip envelop my wrist, sucking me into the colourful swirl that looked like a portal of some sort.

Panic surged through me as I was yanked into the swirling vortex of colours, my surroundings rapidly shifting and warping until I found myself standing in a place that defied all logic.

I blinked in disbelief at the surreal sight before me. I was seemingly in a place where the laws of physics had taken a coffee-fueled detour. Everywhere I looked, coffee reigned supreme or maybe I was hallucinating.

The trees were an artistic construct of dark roasted beans, their branches dripping with steaming espresso. Rivers of frothy cappuccino flowed through the landscape in the form of streams, and the sky overhead was a swirling mix of mochas and lattes. The very air was filled with the rich, intoxicating aroma of freshly brewed coffee. It was like coffee was the oxygen that kept the place alive.

But the strangest part of this world was its inhabitants. Coffee people, or "Coffeasts", as I later learned, bustled about, with their bodies emitting swirling, liquid coffee in the form of sweat. They greeted me with welcoming smiles as if we were friends, their voices sounding like the gentle gurgle of a percolator. They seemed friendly enough, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was a stranger in a strange land filled with strange beings.

A kindly Coffeast named Manga introduced himself and offered me a cup of what he called "Waterpresso" from a nearby tap. I took a tentative sip and was amazed to find it tasted just like water, despite its coffee-like appearance. Manga, noticing the surprise on my face explained that in their world, water was treated as a rare and precious commodity, brewed with the utmost care and attention, while coffee flowed freely from every source imaginable.

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Manga then decided to give me a tour of the caffeine-driven realm. As we strolled through its streets, I watched as Coffeehouses served up not just pastries but entire meals made of various coffee-themed ingredients. Coffee cars roared down streets, emitting espresso fumes and leaving latte art in their wake. Apparently, the coffee fumes are much more environmentally friendly.

"Wait, is this real?" I asked turning to face Manga

"Of course it is" he replied smiling. "it's a place of succour for coffee lovers who wish to temporarily escape the chaos and filth of earth"

"And how did I get here?" I queried

"You must've come in contact with one of our mantles"

Despite my initial shock, I found myself enchanted by this world. It was like living inside a surreal, dreamlike café, where every moment was infused with the warmth and comfort of coffee.

It was very enjoyable, but at the same time I couldn't shake the growing feeling that I didn't belong here. I missed the simple pleasures of my own world: the taste of plain water, the scent of fresh air, and the touch of solid ground beneath my feet.

Manga saw the conflict in my eyes and offered to help me return to my world. How he figured what was on my mind, I can't tell.

"Never knew coffee gave psychic powers" I whispered to myself as I turned to follow him

"I guess it does" he shouted back chuckling

He explained that the same mystical force that had brought me here could be harnessed to send me back. All I needed was to come in contact with an opposing mantle.

Manga led me to a little store house nestled by the corner of the town. He rummaged through a little box and produced a warm little rock that glittered against the sun. As I stretched my hand to touch it, I felt the swirling colours envelop me once more.

I emerged back in the cluttered attic, my hand still gripping the cold, clammy object that had transported me. The experience felt like a hazy, caffeine-induced dream, but the lingering scent of coffee in the air and the vivid memories told me it had been real.

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As I sat amidst the boxes of old belongings, I couldn't help but smile. I had visited a world where coffee flowed like water, and water was brewed like coffee. It was a place of wonder and enchantment, but in the end, I had chosen the familiar comforts of my own reality. But every time I brewed a cup of coffee or sipped a glass of water, I knew that there was a whole other dimension out there, waiting to be explored by those brave enough to take a sip of the unknown.