Printed along subtle edges of certain foods items are dates.

Some dates advise sellers, some advise consumers.

The most important dates are determined and issued by the Secret Department for Interdimensional Transportation and Defense—a government agency which is partly funded by the Expired Perishables Council—in effort to protect humankind (and all other living things on the planet, really) from consequences that are devastating, mind boggling, and utterly avoidable.

*Milk Carton Universe is a short story that I will be posting one chapter at a time.