Rachel Brown was having a terribly boring day. In fact, it was one of the most boring days she'd had yet. Not even Mallory's brand new dinosaur picture book and total excitement could cheer her up.
She liked working as a lifeguard; she really did. She was a shoe-in for assistant manager next year when the current manager, Katie, left. But as she stared out the door from admissions to clear skies and beautiful weather, Rachel really just wanted to get out.
"Excuse me," questioned a voice. "This is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?"
Rachel came back from her dazed glance to focus on a light tan newsboy cap, whose wearer spoke with a curious accent (She suddenly wished she'd paid more attention in Drama II). "You're at La Vista Pool," she replied, fascinated by the hat.
"Ah. And where is that?"
It was definitely a UK accent. "La Vista City?" Rachel looked now at the speaker's face and there was no recognition at all. "Near Omaha, in Nebraska?" He was still confused. "The middle of the U.S. Of A?"
"Oh, so I'm in the States. Really? Strange. That's what I get for playing TARDIS roulette my first time out."
"Excuse me?"
The man, well-dressed for the average La Vista resident, merely waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, it's nothing. Good bye."
Rachel leaned over the counter after the man she dubbed Newboy Cap. "Oi! Aren't you going to swim?" But he didn't seem to hear her and kept walking.
Shaking her head and looking at her watch, Rachel turned around to see a lifeguard coming to rotate places.
Sitting Chair one, Rachel noticed a blue box on a street corner outside the pool she'd never seen before, in any of the five summers she'd worked at the pool.
Several hours later, Rachel was in concessions.
Mallory came skipping up to the counter.
"Hey, Mal Gal. What can I get 'cha?"
"One Reese's please!" The eight year old dropped her three quarters on the metal surface but one slid down and dropped to the floor.
Rachel bent down to pick it up.
When she straightened, Mallory was gone. The two quarters sat on the counter, but Mallory had vanished without the candy.
"Mal?" Rachel opened the half-door to investigate. She took two steps out of concessions when the silence hit her.
There was absolutely no one else at the pool.
She started running for the manager's office only to be run into by Newsboy Cap, who was racing the other way.
They stared at each other for a few minutes before simultaneously exclaiming: "What are you doing here?"