The day had been slow. Jay usually liked days like that. Days where he could think, and let thought itself be his pursuit. However, this slow day had turned from idyllic peace to borderline torture.

He sat behind the counter of the bookstore, waiting for customers. Whenever there weren’t any, he contented himself with the selection of literature that surrounded him. Every time there was a change of stock, he was happy to know he’d have more to work his way through.

It was a random Saturday morning, with nothing special going on. A customer walked in, and Jay lazily looked up from his novel. The customer seemed rather unremarkable, glancing over the shelves as he entered the store. He walked to the back, and Jay trailed him with his gaze.

The man reached up to the top shelf. Jay hadn’t realized his height until then, but it set in when he plucked a book off the nine-foot shelf with ease. He flipped through it, letting the pages cascade over one another, like feathers on a wing, in a process that took mere seconds.

He replaced the book, and moved onto the next. He did the same with that one, as well. He repeated the process over and over, working through an entire shelf in mere minutes. After that, he selected two books, seemingly at random, and put them into one of the baskets for purchasing.

Onto the next shelf he went, where the process went much the same. Grab. Scan. Replace. Jay now stared openly at him. It was impossible that he was reading the books. Even ignoring the speed and acuity he would need, most of the pages were never even fully opened, being half covered by the next page he flipped. 

Before Jay had realized, the man had cleared another shelf, selecting three books for purchase. He moved along, shelf after shelf, selecting only a handful of books from each one. Within half an hour, he had cleared through the store.

He made his way over to Jay, dropping his bag with twenty-some books in it on the counter. Jay marveled at him, checking them out. He looked at the man, holding up one of the novels.

“What made you pick this one?” The man stared back at him. “It’s not very good, are you sure you want it?”

The man nodded, seeming deep in thought. “To be honest, I wasn’t much of a fan of it either. The story was second-rate, mostly an amalgamation of others, but something about the way it was written drew me in. I’d like to reread it just for that purpose.”

Jay felt shaken. He agreed with the man entirely, and it was an accurate description of the book. But the man couldn’t have known. He’d hadn’t even held the book for ten seconds, much less the two hours that Jay had spent working through it.

“And this one?” Jay fumbled in the bag, selecting a different novel. Perhaps the stranger had previously read the first one.

“Ah, Emma. I understand why it's considered a classic now. I enjoyed that one, and I think my wife would rather like it as well.”

A glance down to his hands revealed that the man wore a ring–one he hadn’t before, one he couldn’t have had. By the time Jay had looked back up, the pile of books was fully scanned, as if he’d been on autopilot.

“Not to rush you, but…” The man gestured to Jay’s hand, and he realized he was still holding Emma. “I’d like to get home as soon as possible. It’s my anniversary, after all.”

Jay scanned the last book, throwing manners to the wind as he handed it over. “How did you read so fast? That’s not possible.”

The man looked at him in genuine confusion. It was as if he’d asked what color the sky was. “I turned the pages and looked at the words?” His questioning tone betrayed how little he truly thought of the incredible process. “Like everyone else, just… faster.”

Jay nodded, acting like he understood at all. “Just checking. Enjoy your day, sir.” The man nodded, exiting with his books. Jay sat back in his chair, the strain on his mind exhausting him.