misty vapes
Hari Myers
The patrons of the Smokey Point Bar were a quiet few, barely noticeable in the dimly lit room. The barmaid,
a wispy, platinum blond, made the rounds of the tables before drifting back behind the bar, where a solid,
young man sat, close enough to talk while she poured drinks.
“Slow night tonight, huh Misty?” he spoke in a firm, soft voice.
“That’s good for me, John,” the barmaid answered, “I’ve been feeling stressed lately. I can use a little slow
time. Sometimes, I don’t know what’s happening to me. Things are getting really crazy, you know. Out of
control. I’m gonna serve these people, then take a break. You need anything before I go?”
“No, I’m good. Enjoy your smoke.”
“I don’t smoke anymore. I vape. It’s better."
“Ok.” John responded, tersely.
“It is! It’s cleaner, there’s no smell,” she wrinkled her nose. “It’s just better.”
“Weird.” John huffed.
“Why?”
“Oh, never mind,” he shook his head. “Take your break.”
She grabbed her coat from a rack at the end of the bar, served the drinks, and slipped out the door. Through
the window, John saw her pull a small chrome cylinder from her coat pocket and put it to her lips. Soon, she
was engulfed in a white cloud of vapors. Three or four clouds of vapor and she came back in, checked all the
patrons, then glided back behind the bar. John glanced her way and smiled.
a wispy, platinum blond, made the rounds of the tables before drifting back behind the bar, where a solid,
young man sat, close enough to talk while she poured drinks.
“Slow night tonight, huh Misty?” he spoke in a firm, soft voice.
“That’s good for me, John,” the barmaid answered, “I’ve been feeling stressed lately. I can use a little slow
time. Sometimes, I don’t know what’s happening to me. Things are getting really crazy, you know. Out of
control. I’m gonna serve these people, then take a break. You need anything before I go?”
“No, I’m good. Enjoy your smoke.”
“I don’t smoke anymore. I vape. It’s better."
“Ok.” John responded, tersely.
“It is! It’s cleaner, there’s no smell,” she wrinkled her nose. “It’s just better.”
“Weird.” John huffed.
“Why?”
“Oh, never mind,” he shook his head. “Take your break.”
She grabbed her coat from a rack at the end of the bar, served the drinks, and slipped out the door. Through
the window, John saw her pull a small chrome cylinder from her coat pocket and put it to her lips. Soon, she
was engulfed in a white cloud of vapors. Three or four clouds of vapor and she came back in, checked all the
patrons, then glided back behind the bar. John glanced her way and smiled.
“What?” Misty asked.
“You just about disappear out there,” he grinned. “All you see is a cloud.”
Misty shrugged. “It’s just vapor. It just disappears into thin air. No secondhand smoke. No bad smell on your
clothes. And I don’t cough like I used to. I like it better.”
“It’s still weird.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m a smoker. I used to be able to sit right here and smoke. But now, everybody’s gotten all weird
about secondhand smoke, so I have to go outside, and not just outside the door, I have to go twenty-five feet
away from the door. Ok, . . . I can do that. But now, I go out, and I’m the only one smoking. Everyone else is
surrounded by this giant cloud of vapors. That’s weird.”
“It’s just a better way, everyone can see that.”
“Yeah, but you’re still getting nicotine.”
“Noooo!” She stretched out the “no” for emphasis, “there’s all kinds of juices out there. Most of them don’t
have nicotine. Some really good flavors. Some of them are absolutely amazing. Like the one I’m doing now, . . .
wow!” She rolled her eyes.
“That’s another thing, what happened to the taste of tobacco? Why all these fancy flavors?”
“Seriously? You like the taste of tobacco? And you like hacking and coughing? And you like smelling like
stale tobacco?”
“Ahh!" He threw a hand in the air, “give me another beer.”
Misty poured a beer and pushed it to him.
“You just about disappear out there,” he grinned. “All you see is a cloud.”
Misty shrugged. “It’s just vapor. It just disappears into thin air. No secondhand smoke. No bad smell on your
clothes. And I don’t cough like I used to. I like it better.”
“It’s still weird.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m a smoker. I used to be able to sit right here and smoke. But now, everybody’s gotten all weird
about secondhand smoke, so I have to go outside, and not just outside the door, I have to go twenty-five feet
away from the door. Ok, . . . I can do that. But now, I go out, and I’m the only one smoking. Everyone else is
surrounded by this giant cloud of vapors. That’s weird.”
“It’s just a better way, everyone can see that.”
“Yeah, but you’re still getting nicotine.”
“Noooo!” She stretched out the “no” for emphasis, “there’s all kinds of juices out there. Most of them don’t
have nicotine. Some really good flavors. Some of them are absolutely amazing. Like the one I’m doing now, . . .
wow!” She rolled her eyes.
“That’s another thing, what happened to the taste of tobacco? Why all these fancy flavors?”
“Seriously? You like the taste of tobacco? And you like hacking and coughing? And you like smelling like
stale tobacco?”
“Ahh!" He threw a hand in the air, “give me another beer.”
Misty poured a beer and pushed it to him.
He took a drink, set it down, then announced, “Now I’m going out. For a smoke!” He got off his stool and
walked out the door, fingering through his pocket for a cigarette.
He returned shortly, stifling a hoarse cough, sat on his stool and gulped his beer. Misty wrinkled her nose
and moved down the bar. John glanced at her and shrugged.
“Suit yourself,” he snorted softly.
The evening floated slowly by at the Smokey Point Bar. Misty and John shifted to less personal conversations,
while hardly a sound emanated from anywhere else in the room. Patrons slipped away one or two at a time.
Eventually, Misty also slipped out for another break. From inside, John observed the vapors swirling around,
and at times almost completely obscuring her frail form. Like a smoke and mirrors magic show, first she was
there, then she wasn’t, then she was. He shuddered and turned back to his drink.
“Spooky,” he muttered.
When Misty reentered the room, she seemed to almost waft in on a breeze. She smiled quickly toward John,
then busied herself with cleaning. John looked close at her face and frowned.
“You really don’t look well tonight, Misty. You’re really pale.” Surveying the room, he mused, “There’s no one
else here. Why don’t you just close and go home?”
She looked around, “Yeah, I might do that. I feel about gone, already.”
walked out the door, fingering through his pocket for a cigarette.
He returned shortly, stifling a hoarse cough, sat on his stool and gulped his beer. Misty wrinkled her nose
and moved down the bar. John glanced at her and shrugged.
“Suit yourself,” he snorted softly.
The evening floated slowly by at the Smokey Point Bar. Misty and John shifted to less personal conversations,
while hardly a sound emanated from anywhere else in the room. Patrons slipped away one or two at a time.
Eventually, Misty also slipped out for another break. From inside, John observed the vapors swirling around,
and at times almost completely obscuring her frail form. Like a smoke and mirrors magic show, first she was
there, then she wasn’t, then she was. He shuddered and turned back to his drink.
“Spooky,” he muttered.
When Misty reentered the room, she seemed to almost waft in on a breeze. She smiled quickly toward John,
then busied herself with cleaning. John looked close at her face and frowned.
“You really don’t look well tonight, Misty. You’re really pale.” Surveying the room, he mused, “There’s no one
else here. Why don’t you just close and go home?”
She looked around, “Yeah, I might do that. I feel about gone, already.”
“I’m worried about you. Maybe I should I stick around while you close?”
“Yeah, ok. Thanks.” She took the till from the cash register into the office, while John sipped his beer. A few
minutes later, Misty came out of the office.
“I’m done. Let’s go.”
“After you.” John gestured toward the door.
Outside, Misty locked the door and paused. “I gotta have one more before I hit the road. Wait with me, will ya?”
“Sure.”
John took out a cigarette, but hesitated in lighting it, while Misty vaped. She inhaled on her chrome cylinder,
held her breath, then exhaled. The cloud around her eddied, pulsed, and grew, enveloping her entirely. John
saw only glimpses of her. What he did see, looked eerily translucent. She seemed to move with the cloud; to
be part of it. She appeared and disappeared in the swirling vapors. Her image glittered, sparkled and blurred.
John winced.
“What’s going on?” he stammered.
“Nothing,” Misty replied calmly, her voice sounding somewhat hollow. “I’m just vaping.”
“You’re vaping, alright, you’re fading in and out like a bad satellite reception. You’re here, and then you’re
not! This isn’t real. What’s going on?”
“It’s alright, John,” she reassured, “I’m fine.”
John’s jaw dropped as the cloud flickered and swirled, distorting Misty’s appearance.
“You’re not fine!” he cried, “I can‘t believe what I’m seeing.”
“Relax,” a hollow voice soothed from inside the dense cloud, “everything’s ok. It’s so peaceful and energizing
here, so stimulating. I feel alive and at ease. Oh, if I could stay like this forever. What a feeling!”
The cloud thinned enough for John to see through it. Nothing there but vapors.
“Misty!” He gasped.
“I’m here,” the cloud whispered softly, as it moved slower and diminished, until it vanished completely, and
Misty with it. “See,” Misty’s voice echoed from nowhere, “It just disappears into thin air.”
John’s cigarette dropped to the ground. A chilly wind blew across the back of his neck. Then, he heard
Misty’s voice again.
“What’s wrong, John? You look upset.”
He squinted. Faint lights began streaking in front of him, forming shapes; outlines of arms, legs, a body, and
Misty’s face, transparently illuminated by speeding specks of light. John fumbled for another cigarette, his
eyes fixed on Misty’s flickering likeness.
“Yeah, ok. Thanks.” She took the till from the cash register into the office, while John sipped his beer. A few
minutes later, Misty came out of the office.
“I’m done. Let’s go.”
“After you.” John gestured toward the door.
Outside, Misty locked the door and paused. “I gotta have one more before I hit the road. Wait with me, will ya?”
“Sure.”
John took out a cigarette, but hesitated in lighting it, while Misty vaped. She inhaled on her chrome cylinder,
held her breath, then exhaled. The cloud around her eddied, pulsed, and grew, enveloping her entirely. John
saw only glimpses of her. What he did see, looked eerily translucent. She seemed to move with the cloud; to
be part of it. She appeared and disappeared in the swirling vapors. Her image glittered, sparkled and blurred.
John winced.
“What’s going on?” he stammered.
“Nothing,” Misty replied calmly, her voice sounding somewhat hollow. “I’m just vaping.”
“You’re vaping, alright, you’re fading in and out like a bad satellite reception. You’re here, and then you’re
not! This isn’t real. What’s going on?”
“It’s alright, John,” she reassured, “I’m fine.”
John’s jaw dropped as the cloud flickered and swirled, distorting Misty’s appearance.
“You’re not fine!” he cried, “I can‘t believe what I’m seeing.”
“Relax,” a hollow voice soothed from inside the dense cloud, “everything’s ok. It’s so peaceful and energizing
here, so stimulating. I feel alive and at ease. Oh, if I could stay like this forever. What a feeling!”
The cloud thinned enough for John to see through it. Nothing there but vapors.
“Misty!” He gasped.
“I’m here,” the cloud whispered softly, as it moved slower and diminished, until it vanished completely, and
Misty with it. “See,” Misty’s voice echoed from nowhere, “It just disappears into thin air.”
John’s cigarette dropped to the ground. A chilly wind blew across the back of his neck. Then, he heard
Misty’s voice again.
“What’s wrong, John? You look upset.”
He squinted. Faint lights began streaking in front of him, forming shapes; outlines of arms, legs, a body, and
Misty’s face, transparently illuminated by speeding specks of light. John fumbled for another cigarette, his
eyes fixed on Misty’s flickering likeness.
“This is really great, John! You ought to vape, it’s so fine.” A deep sigh issued from the apparition, “You know,
it’s been really fun, but, I gotta go.” A slight pause, “Yeah, I gotta go.” A faint smile glowed on her sporadically
lighted face, “Bye.”
John’s mouth gaped open, as Misty faded again, “Misty?”
“Goodbye, John.” A soft voice echoed through the starry evening. “Try vaping. It’s really the best.”
The end
it’s been really fun, but, I gotta go.” A slight pause, “Yeah, I gotta go.” A faint smile glowed on her sporadically
lighted face, “Bye.”
John’s mouth gaped open, as Misty faded again, “Misty?”
“Goodbye, John.” A soft voice echoed through the starry evening. “Try vaping. It’s really the best.”
The end