“Wait, I do all the work, and you get a third of what I’d make in the dungeon?”
“It’s 30%, not a third, but yes. We’re investing in you. We give you good gear. Show you where the best dungeons are for your level. We take the time to train you and point out the pitfalls. For that, we expect a small percentage of what you make. It's better than being an independent operator.”
I think about that. I like the sound of it. An independent operator. It has a real American dream kind of feel to it. Besides, I’m not going to let another rich person take advantage of me. Who does she think she is, asking for 30% of what I make?
Dreams of being rich fly through my mind and are only disturbed by the discrete coughing from Lillian. “You make up your mind? You want us to train you?”
Not wanting to burn a bridge unless I need to, I decide not to turn her down outright. Instead, I’ll buy some time to see how difficult this dungeon thing is. “Uh, thanks. But I’ll have to think about it. This is all so new to me. I think I’ll go over this manual and take some time to think about my options. It seems like the type of thing I should consider carefully.”
“A surprisingly mature decision.” She hands me a card with a phone number on it. “This is a lot to process. Take your time and call me when you’re ready to learn more.” She leans in and whispers, “Just be sure not to tell anyone else about it though. All this is supposed to be a secret. Besides anyone that’s not like us will only think you see things.”
Lillian stands up and holds out her hand. I stand and shake it. She escorts me to the green door at the front of her office and opens it. The doorway is black, and I can’t see anything beyond it.
“Don’t worry. It’s perfectly safe. You’ve already been through there once. It’ll take you right back to the store.”
“Yeah, but how do I explain to my boss that I’ve been missing for the last...” I try to guess at how much time I’ve spent here, “… a half hour?”
She laughs and pats me on the shoulder, “Trust me. Your boss won’t know you’ve gone anywhere. These pocket dimensions run at different speeds than the normal world. They’re perfect for when you have to get a lot of work done.”
Seeing that I’m still hesitant to go through the doorway, she gives me a shove, and I’m pushed through. I hear the door close behind me.
Chapter 12
Passing through the darkness only takes a moment, and I find myself stumbling into a shelf. I look around and see that I’m back in the Quickie Stop Mart. I hear Mr. Smith’s voice call out to me.
“Anthony, there you are. I was looking for you.”
I turn to see Mr. Smith walking towards me from the front of the store. He doesn’t particularly angry after I’ve gone missing for a half hour. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t look angry at all.
When he reaches me, he holds out his big beefy hand for me to shake and I do. He smiles at me and asks, “How has school been going? You like the college life?”
I’m not sure why Mr. Smith isn’t angry or firing me for leaving the store. I glance at the clock on the wall and realize it says that only a minute has passed since I walked through the storage room door with Lillian. Is that what she meant by ‘These pocket dimensions run at different speeds than the normal world’? Does time pass differently in these portal spaces? The repercussions of such a thing is a bit too much for me right now. I have to consciously bring my mind to the present and answer Mr. Smith.
“It’s going well so far. It’s a big campus with lots of people.”
Remembering that I’m still employed here, I recall some of the events that happened this morning before hearing about the System. It’s surprisingly easy to slip back into the role of convenience store employee. “Mr. Smith, Samantha left early, I told her it was ok since we weren’t busy.”
Mr. Smith nods, “Yes. I got her message. That was your call to make since you were in charge, Anthony. Anything else happen during your shift?”
I tell Mr. Smith about the rich kids that came through here and how I reported them to the police when I realized they were drinking and driving. I showed him the money they left to cover the mess they made.
Mr. Smith nods at my story. “Yes, yes. A good decision. Man, I don’t miss the days when the cars jammed the roads, and every two-bit fool could drive any way they wanted. We don’t need a lawsuit for not reporting that kind of behavior either.”
I quickly count the money in the register and make sure it matches the night's receipts before handing the keys to the convenience store to Mr. Smith. Before I leave, I remember that I’m supposed to bring home some supplies for Marie. I grab what she needs, but when I try to pay for them but Mr. Smith waves me away saying that I did a good job with the store and that I don’t have to pay. I thank him for his generosity and head home.
—
I catch the autobus home and walk through our front door, shopping bag in hand, by 6:30 am. The smell of a delicious breakfast greets me as I enter the house. I make a right after the entryway and down a short hallway into the kitchen. I can hear my mom clattering around the kitchen, the sizzle of cooking food, the smell of delectably fried potatoes.
I come up behind my mom and hug her. She’s short enough that I can rest my chin on her puffy hair. “Hey, Mom, I’m home.”
“Be careful. I’m cooking, mijo.” She puts down the spatula and turns around to give me a quick hug back, then returns to her cooking. “Breakfast will be ready in a minute. Sit down and tell me about your first day of college.”
I briefly consider telling her everything—the weird dream with the slime, waking up in the hospital, the headaches, the blue boxes, the strange girl that came into the store with her explanations. However, looking at her tired yet excited expression, I know that telling her about my problems will just make her worry. She has enough on her plate as it is. “Oh, everything went perfect, Mom. The campus is huge, though, and there are a lot of people that go there.”
“Did you get lost? You know you get lost easily. I remember when you were little, you got lost in the store and you cried like a baby until the manager found you and called for me on the speakers. Then you cried all the way home.”
Man, you get lost in a department store one or two times as a kid, and they never let you forget it. “I almost got lost, but there are these maps all over campus that show you where all the buildings are.”
“Well, that’s good. How were the classes? Are they hard?”
Not sure how to answer that since I didn’t make it to any of my classes yesterday, I try to be vague. “I don’t know yet. It was only the first day; they didn’t do much.”
“Oh, well maybe they’ll teach you something today.”
“No, Mom. Today is a different set of classes. It’ll probably be more introduction stuff.”
She places a big plate of fried potatoes, eggs, and fried ham in front of me. “Oh? Well, at least you’ll have a good meal before you go.”
I thank my mom and eagerly pick up my fork and start to dig into the food. Oh, those potatoes are heavenly. Crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside. Mix it with the eggs and meat and each mouthful is a journey to food paradise. My mom places a tall glass of milk with ice in it in front of me. I can’t help but think that the cold drink perfectly complements the meal.
I hear the sound of a door opening, and a few moments later a sleepy-eyed Marie staggers down the hallway into the kitchen. My sister rubs her eyes with the sleeve of her nightgown and plops down onto a chair at the kitchen table. My mom quickly puts a plate of food in front of her, and the smell wakes her enough to move her to put food in her mouth.