The Peacock 1904

This water is so cold, so pure, so delicious, unlike any water that has ever crossed my lips, and now, suddenly I am back in the cafe, nowhere near the Refuge, nowhere near Jesus.  Here is Carl, and only Carl in the comfy chair opposite.  And Erik seated on my left. They have been conversing.  No Stella.  No Sven.  No Caspar. "Where are the others", I ask. "We all returned here alone", says Carl. "Just now?" "We were both here five minutes ahead of you", says Erik. "Then it wasn't...? "One of your hallucinations?" says Carl. smiling.  "No.  Unless it was a collective delusion", and now he is snickering. "We were all with Jesus in that big mansion?" "Along with his very aged parents:" "Where are the others?" "Like us.  They are all back from where they were taken." "Except..." "Stella, Sven and Caspar", says Erik. "What time is it?" "Almost four", says Carl. "What day is it?" "Still Monday", says Erik, and now I can see they are both deadpanning as much as I am.  How else are we going to cope right now? "But, we did spend the night, didn't we?  But wait.  Not one single minute has passed since...since we were taken yesterday...but wait it's still today, isn't it.  Where is Lawrence?" "He was just leaving when  Jesus appeared", says Erik.  Now he's gone on with his day..."