It was late out, nearly 1 in the morning. It was a full moon, visible above all the buildings. A power line with birds sitting on it cut through the center of the moon, their wings spread out, some prepared to fly away. A man, whose name was unknown even to himself at the moment, trudged across the streets, looking for refuge. The few people that drove down the road looked at him with judging eyes, despite not knowing him or his struggles.

Then, he walked past a diner. It was open late, the lights from the inside shining out through the long and wide windows. It was as if it was calling his name. He walked towards it, barely thinking about his actions, and opened the door. A bell rang and a friendly waitress greeted him, helping him towards a seat. The seats were a vintage red, and a napkin holder of the same color was centered on every table, along with condiments and salt and pepper.

He was handed a menu, and as he checked his wallet for cash, he had just enough for a milkshake. After he ordered, the menu was taken away and he continued taking in the environment around him. There were bar stools the same color as the seats across a white counter, with three red stripes stretching across it. Neon signs covered the walls behind the counter, mostly in the shape of food. It began raining outside, and it sounded like it would become worse soon.

Dolly Parton played over the radio, and the man nodded along to the upbeat music. Soon, he was given his milkshake, and immediately began drinking it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had one, but it had been too long. He ate the cherry on top of the swirl of whipped cream in one bite, and as he became close to finishing it, he began to feel tired.

He leaned his head against the window, the storm becoming worse and worse, and the vibrations of the thunder came through to his head, relaxing him even further. Soon enough, he fell asleep, dreams of a happier time going through his mind.

He wasn't sure how long he was out for, but when he woke up, the outside was drastically different. The sun was shining and not a cloud was in sight. People were all out and about, the women wearing brightly colored summer dresses with fruit and flowers all over, and the men wore brightly colored suits in all sorts of colors.

The man's wardrobe had changed to fit with the rest of the men outside as well, a drastic change from his previous old jeans and T-shirt. He was confused, but happy, with a newfound sense of joy inside of him, as if the dreams he had been having were becoming a reality. Or perhaps this was a dream.

But no, it couldn't be! It was all too real. He gleefully stepped outside and began dancing all around the streets, as not even a single car was to be found. Everyone around him was smiling and laughing, cheering for the man, as if they were congratulating him for finally finding his purpose in life. He had even remembered his name, which was Paul.

Suddenly, things began to change. It was small changes at first, barely noticeable, but soon, everything around him began to fall apart. It began to rain and storm once again, and the man's clothing went back to what it was before. Cars began to fill the road and gray clouds covered the sky. The cars honked at the man, and some even screamed at him to get off the road.

The man screamed, stood completely still on the road. He was pelted in rain, his clothes and skin becoming drenched. Suddenly, a car came out of nowhere, and though it tried to stop, failed, and hit the man, killing him.