3 – A Breakroom Chat

Ever since I left the campsite, a lot of my dreams have been rather peculiar. A good percentage had been about me being a dog. When I drink before bed, my dreams are more normal, and I'm human in those that I can recall.

That night, I dreamt I was at work, and a human. Mordecai and Rigby from Regular Show were my coworkers. I assumed everyone else in that office was a Regular Show character in my dream that night. I was not able to pick up any other memories of that dream. If I think about it, Muscle Man may have been my boss.

When I awoke, to my surprise, Regular Show was not returning. News of JG Quintel's next big project wasn't on my phone either. Neither was news of any indication that it would air on Adult Swim.

Instead, there was a confirmation email for a plane ticket to a deserted island. It was a bit of money down the drain, and it was a one-way ticket. As I scrolled through the email and the website, images of the raccoon and the blue bird appeared here and there. Even the CEO had a raccoon instead of his picture as a laugh.

In the year since I first came to Montanie, I've received emails more than once a week, sometimes daily, from the company. The subjects of the emails included "Important: Free airfare with this limited time deal," "We miss you," "Take a flight to a whole new life," "Help build the community of the future today," and "New employment ventures available for new island residential opportunity." I'd regarded them as spam, but the previous night I'd clicked one reading "Free airfare with our new miles program when you act NOW!"

I scrolled through the email I'd clicked last night and read it. It informed me about gaining 5000 miles to pay off my airfare if I sign up for the miles program during my ticket purchase. Pictures of planes and island scenery appeared on the email to give it some flair and pizzazz. Like the other emails, the company sent this one to me and my old friends, Julia Aster and Ursala Joelsen. Julia was the caretaker for the campsite when Michael was out, and Ursala lived in Balltown and befriended me when I was the assistant manager. I thought to myself, is this company associated with the campsite? Why did this company choose us for this exclusive promotion? This is beyond strange.

As I read the confirmation email, another one popped up. This message was from the CEO of the company. He was developing an exclusive residential community on the deserted island.

"Hello, Ms. Herschel! Thank you for purchasing your ticket for the deserted island package. However, I remember your name from years past if I am not incorrect, hm? It seems as if you have experience in resident support work. We are looking for individuals like yourself to help managing our island community, yes, yes."

I had no idea what the email referred to, nor any idea who the sender, a guy named Thomas, was. An opportunity was an opportunity, I supposed. If I could forget about the campsite, I was eager to sign up. I had a master's degree in civil engineering, after all. What else could I do but help manage a blossoming community on a mysterious island?

I shut my laptop and packed it up. I bunched my hair up into a messy bun with a scrunchie I got once upon a Christmas. Those jingly scrunchies last a lifetime, unlike the discount store hair ties I wore beforehand. I put on what's expected for me at this firm: Sweater over a button-up top, a tie, a black skirt, and loafers.

Thank goodness I was alright and able to hop on the bus, even when hungover. Work today, like every other day, was mostly unremarkable. Even if it were a distraction from my past, I still couldn't remember the goings on of work. All I know is that I was filing a two-weeks' notice later and leaving a good deal before my sojourn to the deserted island. During an afternoon tea break, however, I'd run into someone who was going down the same path as I was.

In the breakroom, I just sat for a while, admiring the sights of this place. I've only lived and worked here for a couple of years, but it felt like another part of home to me. The whole room was gray, with plants and the blue sky outside being the sole pops of color here. On the TV, there was a Futurama rerun, in which the crew go to yet another alien world, making the only noise besides the rushing cars outside.

I opened my laptop and began my email to Thomas about the job opportunity on the island. Tap, tap, went my fingers across my keyboard, as my mind gravitated to what I'd wanted to say to him. "Thank you, sir, I'm excited for a whole new adventure," or maybe "I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful community"?

I didn't even know that my coworker from another department was on his way to the break room. This guy, a blonde-banged black-haired dude with glasses who seemed like the heppest of cats - according to some other staffers - stepped in. He looked just as burnt out as I was, but just as professionally dressed.

I said to him as he made his way to a spare chair in the break room, "Hey, Ray! How's everything on your side of the office?"

"Things are going well, Isabelle. I know upper management has an opportunity they gave me for a higher position, but I'm considering if I should do this remotely." He purred, before taking a sip from a grey go-cup and set it on the table.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so proud of you!" I didn't know it yet, but we had a commonality in that moment. "So uh, why remotely?"

Ray set the go-cup on the table. "I need a change of pace from living in this little mountain town. I don't know where I'm going to go, but I'll still keep my job! Even if I'm not leaving, I hope to go vacationing more often, maybe to the mountains or somewhere local."

I darted my eyes around the room, because I wanted to share something with him. "Oh! What makes you want to uh, leave Montanie?"

Ray took another sip of his coffee. "It's not about stability. It's about new adventures. I moved here on a whim to take an internship in another city. I wondered what it's like to live somewhere else when I first started. Maybe I'm a natural wanderer."

I stared wistfully at the afternoon sky of the city and imagined myself on a plane flying out to a distant island. I turned my laptop to him and showed him the confirmation email. "I, so, this is why I asked. I bought a plane ticket last night by mistake, Now, I'm deciding how to respond to a job opportunity from someone on this island."

Ray loosened his grip on his coffee cup and his green-and-gold eyes widened. "Hey! I remember a news story about some rich guy named Thomas or something buying a whole island back in December." He rubbed his chin. "Wait, is this the same guy, and is he really giving us space on his island?"

I switched over to the email draft, which read, "Dear Thomas, Hello! I just want to let you know my feelings on this whole new island adventure!"

"You really want to take that chance? You know, should I take it?"

I smiled and a little half-uncertain nod came with it. "Yeah! Oh, I mean, if you want to. I know you want to explore and live your life and do your work wherever you want, but are you thinking about moving to the island, too?"

Ray shrugged. "Sounds fun." He took out his phone and typed in the name of the company that sold these tickets. "Hey, look. Says here they've got a deal where you could camp out for a bit and get a feel for it before fully dedicating yourself to the place."

"Yeah!" I said, "I know life there's going to be amazing. Come to think of it, I might not regret moving there and helping the island community flourish!" In my mind, I saw myself sipping a coconut smoothie and watching the ocean waves pass by. I also imagined Ray riding a kayak along the shore, waving to the birds as they flew overhead.

Ray got up to add some cream and coffee to his cup. "Proud to be a possible member of the community. And I know you're going to do well there, like you're doing here."

I smiled and looked back at him. "Aww, thank you, Ray!" I put away my laptop into its case and waved back to him. "Anyways, I'm going back to my side of the office. See you around!"

Ray sat back down in his chair. "Ciao, crisp!"

After work, I rode the bus on the usual streets that led me to my apartment. While on my way back, I texted Ursala and Julia just to make sure they knew my plans. "I got plane tickets to an island by mistake and now someone is emailing me about a job," I told them, "also the island company sent us three some weird exclusive promotion. What can I do?"

As the bus bumped turning a corner towards the highway near Pendleton's liquors and my apartment, Ursala texted the group chat, "What? No way! I think you should call the company and ask for a refund."

"I think I know who," Julia texted back, "or what's probably luring you back in, Isabelle. Mind yourself when dealing with him."

I double-checked the email to see where I could get my money back. There, beneath the message congratulating me for making my purchase, was a flight plan. It started from Montanie, with a few stops along the way, until reaching a newly constructed airport in a place I was familiar with. If I were to say how familiar, it would be more familiar than water is to a fish.

Surprise gripped me as I gripped the phone closer. I never thought I'd see the name "Balltown" again, especially in this context. I wasn't ready to return to the sleepy village, nor the campsite where I worked on the ruins of the sleepy town. Balltown was still a town, at least enough of a town to have received its very own airport.

"girls I think the flight to the deserted island is leaving from the old campsite"

The bus inched closer to the highway, and to the bridge and ramp nearest to Pendleton's liquors. Ursala typed out in the group chat, "wait deserted? What is goin through that beasts mind? If he even swats you s2g"

Julia texted us back with a gif from The Incredibles with Edna Mode saying, "I never look back, dahling, it distracts from the now!" As the bus rolled over the ramp, she told us, "I mean if you want to spend the money to fight him, you can, but don't ruin your looks."

My stop was right around the corner to the street where the liquor store where Alec worked was the shop was across from an antique store, and next to a tattoo parlor, Space Cowboys, and an esoteric fairy crystal shop called Waxing Moon. I hopped off the bus at the closest stop to the fairy store and walked the gum-dotted sidewalk to the liquor store.

The evening twilight sparkled through the liquor store windows, though the overhead bulbs illuminated the shop. I had no interest in whiskey this time, just a bottle of water for now. Above me, the sound of Joji's "Slow Dancing in the Dark" played throughout the shop. I didn't see Alec until the last few minutes of my visit, while looking for water and an excuse to talk to him. A younger gentleman in a blue top was at the counter instead. I set my water on the counter and asked him,

"Oh, hello! Is Alec working today?" The guy at the counter rang up my water, and replied,

"Yeah, yeah. He's in the back room, waiting for me to finish up my shift in a minute, but we can cover for each other at this point." He set down my water onto the glass-topped counter. "Hey, Alec! Some blonde lady's asking me about you!" I shuffled around my purse while waiting for Alec to come out.

"Blonde lady? Hmmm… Oh, yeah, little dude. Might be the one I talked to yesterday about my sister's kid goin' offshore to wait out that Corona." Alec called behind the door to the left of the counter. The clerk turned to me and said,

"Wait right here, madam. I'll go get Alec." The guy left as the last few notes of "Slow Dancing" faded into Sonny and Cher's "I Got You, Babe." With Sonny and Cher came Alec, ready to give me the receipt and, with my hopes in check, a way to get information about Zaden and their island life.

"So sorry, ma'am. Anyways, are you here to talk about gettin' outta town?" Alec approached the counter and punched a button confirming that all I was getting was water. I dug my card out of my purse and slid it to Alec, who responded. "Maybe I bragged too much about how the place is Covid-free, and my connections on the place."

"Oh!" I was feeling eager and chipper at the sound of that. "Well, I came here to talk about something. I saw an ad last night that really stood out to me, and the next thing I know, I got a plane ticket to a deserted island!" Alec's eyes grew wide. "And so did a coworker."

"Deserted island? What a coincidence. We'll talk about this later, there's a customer behind you." Alec wrote down his number on the back of my receipt. "I'll get in contact with you about Zaden's misadventures, ma'am." I took the receipt with me, taking mental notes of the phone number on the back.

"Thank you, sir," I walked out of the shop, with my receipt and his number in my purse. The streetlamps and stoplights put a spotlight onto my walk home. Before strolling out into the darkened streets and amidst the sea of cars, I sent Alec a text message.

"Hey, it's me from the liquor store. You know, the girl with that Christmas scrunchie? I'm interested in hearing more about the island from you!" I placed my phone in my purse and looked for a crosswalk.