Chapter Thirty-five – 'Right book, wrong story'

"Interesting." Lisa concluded from the Purple Hologram. "What if I eventually own all four trains? Do I get my choice?" The more she thought, the more questions she spoke to the disdain of the hologram.

"This was meant to help you. Not be an interrogation of the game." The hologram started to fade into nothingness.

Lisa noticed and asked one final question. "Since there are four trains can four different people ride them?" The answer seemed easy but the hologram was stubborn. "Yes...? No...?" She asked while moving her head to persuade an answer out of the hologram.

"I have told you enough. Play the game and you will find out." These were the last words before the purple hologram completely faded away.

"That was weird." Lisa thought to herself. "I thought the purple hologram was going to tell me something useful I didn't know." She seemed confused and shrugged it off. "I wonder where Mr. Bergstrom is. Maybe I can find him and say goodbye before I move on."

She exited the passenger train as the MyPad lit up in her hand. She glanced down and knew what it meant but chose to ignore it.

"It will only take me a minute to find him. He is probably wandering around the train station, or in his office, or at the Snack Bar, or under the clock, or at the..." She retraced her steps in her mind through the last two train stations or the same train she visited twice. "Were different areas of the train station closed during each of my visits or did I not fully explore every nook and cranny?"

Lisa pondered this as a passenger held the door open for her to start her two-phased mission: fully exploring the train station and possibly finding Mr. Bergstrom along the way.

"Mr. Bergstrom!" She yelled through the lobby startling a few passersby. No one answered to the name. "Mr. Bergstrom! I wanted to see goodbye to you. Mr. Berg..."

"Little girl." A voice sounded in Lisa's direction. "Little girl!" The same voice followed by a hand gesture grabbed her attention. "If you climb the stairs to the mezzanine and look over the railing, you may find who you are looking for." She listened intently as this was the only thing she wanted.

"Thank you so much." Lisa's eyes followed the extension of her hand and spotted the mezzanine. "That is a better vantage point of the entire train station. Thanks again." She took off running through the crowd dodging people, luggage carts, and the occasional caged dog.

The first set of stairs she approached had a rope across it which read:

Closed. -The Purple Hologram'.

"I thought this was open earlier and the restrooms were closed. This is hard to keep track of." She looked around for another way into the mezzanine and ran towards the stairs under the clock. "Mr. Bergstrom!" Lisa yelled along the way but no one answered.

"I think he just stepped out." A janitor interjected as she turned the corner under the clock. "He comes and goes as he pleases. The trains are being sold one by one, so his involvement is becoming less by the day. I overheard him say 'once all the trains are sold, I can take my permanent vacation from this place. Maybe a lifetime cruise out on the water'." He climbed up the ladder and wiped the face of the clock.

"Thanks for letting me know. I hope to find him before he leaves forever." She brushed away a tear. "Mr. Bergstrom means a lot to me."

"I'm sure he will turn up again." The janitor climbed down the ladder, grabbed his bucket, and took his exit. "Good luck in the game." He waved as he disappeared out of sight.

Lisa thought quickly and scaled the ladder in place of going up to the mezzanine. She made it to the seventh rung before being startled. "Eek! What are you doing up here?" A blue hologram appeared on the top rung of the ladder looking down at Lisa. "Take your turn." The hologram said in a stern tone.

"I saw the MyPad light up but I needed to find Mr. Bergstrom before I left." She thought about her next statement. "What are the chances of seeing him again? I could leave and he could be gone forever... again."

The hologram had no remorse and repeated its statement. "Take your turn."

"You could at least say please." Lisa countered.

"Take your turn, please." The blue hologram rolled its eyes and continued. "We are not here to make friends, we are here to ensure the game is played fairly and by the rules."

"Fine!" Lisa grunted. "If I push the icon, will you go away."

"Maybe. I can disappear, but I'm always watching. I am everywhere at all times." The hologram cryptically said.

Booms echoed outside the train station as Lisa pressed the icon and waited for her result. The screen settled on a display of a pair of dice showing four dots a piece.

"Eight!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Double fours." The hologram scoffed. "You got lucky little girl."

"...but eight is not ten, so I would say this is unlucky." She sadly answered. "...and who are you calling 'little girl'."

"My time here is done. Wonder who you will run into first, one of us holograms or your favorite Mr. Bergstrom." The hologram added before disappearing. Lisa took one last look for Mr. Bergstrom then climbed down the ladder and glanced at the top of the empty ladder.

She retraced her steps back to the front door and took a final look over her shoulder. "Goodbye Mr. Bergstrom. I don't know when, or if, I will be back." She

exited the train station and jumped into her race car.

Her ride slowly reversed from its parking spot next to the ticket window and began to pull away from the train station. Lisa tried not to think about the possibility of never seeing Mr. Bergstrom again. It was a distracting thought but it was still early in the game. She tried to clear her head and enjoy the ride.

The train station faded away as the race car passed over a set of train tracks. A train horn blew in the distance as the race car turned onto a long gravel road. Lisa stretched out and tried to use the MyPad to see what she could find. The image of a pair of fours stayed illuminated on the screen with no reaction from her touch.

"I have one of these at home and even with the parental controls enabled, I have more access than this." She fumbled with the MyPad but nothing happened. "Ugh!" She threw it down in disgust as the race car made a few more turns and merged onto a four-lane road.

Lisa and the race car continued down the road, changing lanes to avoid other drivers, and stopping at the appropriate traffic lights. She glanced at the MyPad as the screen changed from the permanently displayed dice to the winking face sticking its tongue out then quickly back to the dice.

"I saw that..." She said to herself as a car passed her with a driver she recognized. She did a double take and the car winked at her. "Blue hologram? I didn't know..."

The driver revved the engine and sped off. She tried to stomp on the gas pedal but hit the MyPad instead. The race car accelerated anyways but it was just for show because it slowed down to turn onto a side street.

Several factories awaited with her destination having a banner across the front saying: 'For Sale' below giant letters spelling out 'Ah Fudge' next to a mascot of a cocoa bean. This intrigued Lisa as she wondered if she could buy this after owning two trains. She picked up the MyPad but it still displayed the dice.

"Stupid MyPad." She tossed it back on the floor and watched the scenery change from the front of the factory to the back. "Where I am going? Can't I go in the front door?"

The race car drove toward the loading docks and put it in reverse and backed up to the door. As it stopped, it announced 'You have arrived at Indiana Avenue' and showed the eight spaces she traveled.

"It's time to go explore." She picked up the MyPad again as the screen finally went blank. The open door was an invitation into the building as it was hers to search, especially if she wanted to purchase the property.

"...And if you look to the right, you will see our loading dock where the trucks receive the boxes of chocolate. The next truck we have scheduled for pickup isn't for a few hours... This door shouldn't be open." Lisa quickly ran to the back of the tour group and hid behind the last kids in line as the tour guide pressed the button to shut the vertical door. "Let's continue the tour. So how does the chocolate end up here? Follow me as we work our way backward through the process."

"That doesn't make any sense." A short kid in the front muttered.

"Why didn't we start from the beginning?" Another said.

"All of your questions will be answered at the beginning of the tour." The tour guide seemed backward about the process of making chocolate bars. "In the next room, we see how the chocolate bars are packaged into boxes.

Lisa rolled her eyes as the tour was confusing to her and all the kids. She looked around and no teachers or chaperons were seen. It felt like any school field trip she went on where the teachers would ditch the students and go back to the school bus unseen by the students. "Where is your teacher?" She asked a boy in the back of the tour.

"Last we saw them was in the lobby. The tour is going in reverse, so maybe they are at the beginning waiting for us." The kid answered her.

"That's possible." Lisa agreed. "Have you seen Cocoa Beanie yet?" There was an excitement in her voice as the kid shook their head.

"Not yet. We asked at the beginning of the tour, which is the end of the tour... anyways... who are you?" The question caught Lisa off-guard. "Our school is small and only has two classes per grade and I know everyone in the third grade."

Lisa needed a fast excuse to cover her story. "...I'm in the second grade and I got on the wrong bus this morning. It seems the third graders were coming on a field trip to the chocolate factory while the second graders were going to the train station..."

The kid did not know anyone outside of the third grade, so he couldn't verify her story. "Anyways..." He had nothing else to add to the conversation. He politely held open the door as they went to the next room.

"Robots pick up the bars and place them into the boxes..." The tour guide sounded monotone and probably bored with his own tour. "The next room shows how we individually wrap each and every candy bar." He was right as they went through another doorway and into the wrapping room.

"We must be getting closer to something exciting. No one cares how they are packaged. I want to see how chocolate is made." An impatient kid yelled at the tour guide.

"Yeah!" Another agreed. "My parents didn't sign the permission slip and provide three dollars for me to see how to put things in boxes."

"I'm just glad to miss half a school-day and meet Cocoa Beanie." A red-haired girl said in the middle of the group.

"We could skip the next few rooms and go straight to the main room you all want to see." There was mixed grumbling to the tour guide's suggestion. "It's the room Cocoa Beanie hangs out in during the day for school field trips." This grabbed the children's attention. The tour guide waved them through the next several doorways.

Lisa ran to keep up with the group. As she approached the last doorway, the kid holding the door let go a second too soon. She ran to make it but hit the door frame causing her to trip and fall. "Ow!" Lisa let out a scream as her arm hit the frame and the MyPad crashed to the ground.

"Let me help you up." The boy offered. Lisa blinked her eyes to focus on him.

"You dropped this." The tour guide picked up her MyPad and handed it back to her. "I think I know what this means. You aren't here for the tour. You are here for the game."

"So you aren't here for the tour?" The boy asked her. "I don't get it."

Lisa felt bad lying to him but thought it was the best idea at the time. "I'm here for a game and need to buy this factory."

"You need to talk to Cocoa Beanie and he will help you." The boy looked disappointed as the tour guide called for the mascot. "Cocoa Beanie, can you come over here a second while I take the kids to the next room? Kids, follow me for a minute. We are going to the beginning of the tour and then come back to the middle and eventually the end. Does that make sense?" It really didn't but the kids followed anyways.

After all the kids exited the room, the tall mascot greeted Lisa. "Hello little girl. I am Cocoa Beanie and I'm the Mayor of this property. I would say because I'm the most recognizable person here, but others say it's so I'm stuck in this hot unbearable suit twenty-three hours a day."

"I would hope it's for the first reason as I'm excited to meet you. I wish I had my camera." Lisa was too excited and tried to focus. "Can I buy it? Please? Pretty please with chocolate on top?" She repeated her questions but the answer was simple.

"You want to meet the statue, not me. I'm just the one who attended the mayor's meeting. I'll admit, the statue was delivered while I was away and I got lazy upon my return." The mascot sounded like this game was a burden to them and not the exciting turn-based money grab Lisa was playing. "I stored it in the most important room in the factory. It's right over here."

The mascot led her to a side room labeled 'Secret Chocolate Vault'. This was it. "What's in here?" Lisa asked as the mascot put a giant glove on the doorknob.

"This is the origin of where all the chocolate is made. The ingredients, the mixes, the results. It's all in here." Cocoa Beanie turned the knob and the light of the room blinded Lisa so she closed her eyes. "What you seek is in here."

She slowly opened her eyes and expected a grand room worthy of a song. What she got was disappointment. "I really don't get it. Where's the chocolate river mixing the ingredients? I read about it in a book once..."

"Oh... you mean the root beer factory next door. It has a root beer river with a boat for travel." Cocoa beanie knew about the neighboring factory in concept only.

The room contained several recipe cards under glass and a stone statue. "The train station was more exciting." Cocoa Beanie just shrugged and pointed to the statue. Lisa placed her MyPad into its hands and two holograms appeared: a green and a red one.

"Greetings..." The green hologram started but Lisa interrupted.

"I'll buy it." She insisted. "How much is it?"

Both holograms scowled at her. "At least let Green finish before you decide."

"What Red said." The green hologram started again. "Greetings and welcome to Indiana Avenue. Before you buy it, know the cost is two hundred twenty dollars with a box of chocolate for visitors being eighteen dollars for visitors. I should be helpful after you interrupted me, but it brings me pleasure in disappointing you."

"Of course it would." Lisa said while looking at Cocoa Beanie.

"Both of the other properties of this color-group have already been purchased. If you wish to build houses around this property one day, you will need to negotiate with the owners of the root beer factory the talking cocoa bean told you about and the box factory down the street. Good luck with that." The green hologram sarcastically explained as the MyPad lit up and Lisa pressed the Buy icon. "I'm not surprised in your decision." The green hologram added before fading away.

Two papers printed below the MyPad and Lisa pulled them to read them. The first was her much anticipated title-deed showing she now owned a property instead of a train on a property. She shivered with joy as she looked at her receipt.

"This entire property cost me a few more dollars than just a train. I feel like the trains were overvalued." She said to Cocoa Beanie hoping for an explanation, but he just shrugged.

"How much were the trains? The mascot asked her.

"Two hundred. Each. But I own two trains... elsewhere." Lisa explained. She showed the receipt to Cocoa Beanie which subtracted two hundred twenty from her previous total giving her a new total of eight hundred eighty dollars. "If everything cost two hundred dollars... I should be able to buy seven things. Is that a lot?"

Cocoa Beanie didn't have any answers for her. "I just attended the game planning meeting. To tell you the truth, I wasn't paying attention. I actually might have been sleeping. I was on third shift the night before. You know, I was voted into this position. It seems like a joke now..."

"This game is not a joke." The red hologram reminded them. "Grab your MyPad and head outside for your bonus turn." It disappeared upon saying this.

"I better listen." Lisa admitted partly because the cocoa bean mascot wasn't any help.

"I'll lead you out." The mascot closed the door behind them and walked toward the lobby. They crossed paths with the tour group as the kids noticed Cocoa Beanie walking to them. The friendly boy ran toward Lisa.

"Let me take a second to apologize. I needed a cover story and... that was my answer." Lisa sadly said. "I have to leave before the tour is over though."

The boy accepted her apology. "I get it. Before you go, what is your name?"

"Lisa." She answered. "What is yours? In case we run into each other again."

"Mine is..." But the boy never answered. He froze while giving his answer. Cocoa Beanie stood frozen posing for a picture. Everyone froze as the red hologram reappeared.

"Truly it doesn't matter." The red hologram confirmed. "Can we continue the game?" The roll icon appeared as Lisa gave the hologram a mean look but it disappeared without a care. She pressed the button as the loud booms were heard outside.

"...Colin." The boy answered as time was unfrozen.

"Will you walk me to the door?" Lisa whispered. "I have to leave."