My Life Isn't As Glamorous As My Wanted Poster Makes It Look

The placard bearing Ava's face had faded and curled at the edges. Weary villagers passed, not noticing it, or her.

Ava stuffed the last of her almond croissant into her mouth and washed it down with a swig of lukewarm latte. The problem with time travel was, you simply couldn't step into a Starbucks in 2023 for a coffee and expect to get back to medieval Europe without it going cold.

Licking the sticky, sweet almond paste from her thumb, Ava decided it was definitely worth it, though. Plus, she had to show Mélusine, the two-tailed mermaid, her likeness printed on the cup.

As a young girl stopped to watch, Ava sketched sinister eyebrows onto her picture. Comparing it to Ava, the child's eyes went wide.

The placard, labeled "The Time Bandit," listed Ava's misdeeds.

• Raiding the royal kitchens of Versailles

• Terrorizing the barista in a New Orleans café

• Pillaging the larders of a Tibetan temple

Ava tapped her pocket watch. "Time travel really is the best for finding good pastries. But I only ever take one—two if I'm hungry. My life isn't as glamourous as my wanted poster makes it look."

An elderly satyr hobbled their way.

With a mischievous smile, Ava pointed, "That'd be Jovas. Time to go."

She disappeared as Jovas, the satyr, stumbled to a stop by the girl and crumpled the poster in his fist, cursing.

Taking in his horns and hooves, the child screamed.

The weary villagers finally took notice.

And Jovas ran.

Photo by Jiawei Zhao