Page 21 of Break Room

‘DallerGut is too much of a softie. I think he should cut the deal with the Leprechauns!’ the third-floor manager grumbles, growing more disgruntled the more she broods.

With every word Mogberry sputters in her rage, more curly baby hairs spring out from the crown of her head like mini slinkies.

It has now come to the point where she has more hair sticking out than in the ponytail.

Penny starts to peek around, looking for a way out to the fourth floor as Mogberry’s complaining drags on and on. Just then, Mogberry finds her next victim in another employee passing by, and begins venting to them about the Leprechauns instead, so Penny is able to escape the third floor.

Secretly, Penny has high hopes for the fourth floor.

It sells nap-exclusive dreams, and she hears these are popular among animal customers, who tend to sleep lightly, or baby customers, who tend to sleep all day.

Basically, she would be surrounded by adorable customers while working, and that alone is enough reason to build anticipation.

Penny steps on to the fourth floor in excitement.

She spots a few adorable and tiny customers, but overall, it is not quite as she imagined it to be, as there are many adults and scary-looking animals here, too.

The fourth floor has a lower ceiling compared to the other floors.

The display stands only reach as far as her ankles.

She feels like she is at a flea market where products are strewn over a large mat.

Sticking close to the wall, Penny tries to sidestep a sloth lying in the middle of the corridor and being poked by a giggling toddler.

By Penny’s feet, a display stand reads, ‘Playing with Owner’.

An old, furless dog sniffs around to carefully select a dream.

Penny steps slightly aside so as not to disturb the canine customer.

‘Knock, knock.’ Someone taps on Penny’s back, startling her. She turns around to find a man in a jumpsuit with long, dishevelled hair, staring at her.

‘Hiya, you must be the newbie. Why didn’t you come see me first, dear?’ he asks slyly.

‘Oh, hello. I’m Penny. I got carried away, just looking around . . . Are you the manager of the fourth floor?’

‘Sure am! I’m Speedo, and I’m the manager, indeed! Who else would the manager be?’ Speedo is a fast talker. ‘This floor is always busy. There’s just so much demand. D’you know what the most important thing is on this floor?’

Penny feels somewhat lost, but Speedo seems determined to carry on, so she tries to look curious out of courtesy.

Speedo haughtily raises his jaw to a forty-five-degree angle, running his left hand through his long hair.

He has a sparse, less-than-ten-strand beard on his chin.

Penny tries to avoid looking at his facial expression and focuses on the brooch on his chest instead.

The silver brooch flashes the carved number ‘4’.

‘Of course you don’t know. Listen carefully.

The key is to make sure these napping customers do not sleep too deeply from our dreams. Long naps make babies cry, and deep slumber makes animals easy prey.

So, when in doubt, it’s best not to sell our dreams at all.

The sales will all be taken care of by other floors, anyway. ’

Speedo doesn’t stop showing off. He must have been dying to do so, with so few people around to boast to.

‘Any questions for me?’

‘Well . . .’ Penny tries to come up with one, but Speedo doesn’t allow her more than five seconds.

‘You wanted to ask why I always wear this jumpsuit, didn’t you? People always ask me that!’

Penny fails to hide her ‘Well, no’ expression, but fortunately, Speedo doesn’t care.

‘I always think putting on the top and the bottoms separately is a waste of time. I would rather get more sleep in the morning. Oh, you must wonder – how do I go to the bathroom with this on? Clothes nowadays are so cleverly designed; you unzip it here—’

‘Thanks, Speedo, but no need. I think I know.’

‘You do? Then can you please get out of my way? It’s about time the nappers from Spain start to swarm in here.

’ Speedo takes off as hastily as he has been talking.

In an instant, he is already on to one of the customers and conversing.

‘Oh, you have a good eye! The one you’re looking at is called “Fatigue Recovery”.

Only two left in stock. There’s no better nap dream than this!

What do you think? Shall I get one for you or two? ’

Startled, the customer puts down the product and trots off. Now more of them are leaving, overwhelmed by Speedo’s aggressive customer service, but Speedo seems oblivious as he continues to sweep across the entire floor.

‘Hey, Penny, you still here?’ Speedo is next to Penny before she knows it, whispering into her ear out of the blue.

Penny hopes she won’t be assigned to the fourth floor.

She is feeling increasingly distraught. There is still the fifth floor, but the fifth floor only sells leftover dreams from the first, second, third and fourth floors.

She lets go of any expectations that the fifth floor will have a better work environment.

The first thing she notices when she arrives on the fifth floor are banners hanging chaotically from everywhere. She pushes one of them aside, an old banner that reads: ‘Blowout Sale on Expiring Products!’

The fifth floor is much more crowded than the other floors, filled with customers and employees. A slew of dream boxes on the central display stand looks like they have been dumped there all at once. Sticky notes and signs are sloppily plastered across the stand.

80% OFF SUPER SALE!

PLEASE NOTE: ALL DREAMS HERE ARE IN BLACK AND WHITE. IF YOU WISH TO PURCHASE COLOURED VERSIONS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE STAFF ON OTHER FLOORS.

Below the signs lie dream boxes with hashtags like: ‘#EatingAWholeLobsterAtAPrivateBeach’ and ‘#SunsetInThe SouthernIslandShore’.

Penny pictures a black-and-white scene – a black lobster and the sombre grey ocean – then shakes her head.

So this is what you call a “buy cheap, buy twice situation”, she thinks.

‘Dear customers, this is a real treasure hunt! Some dreams were originally priced at fifty gordens, and you can also find dreams made by the Legendary Big Five! Some were once limited editions! They are all hiding in here somewhere, waiting to be found! Keep your eyes peeled for your very own treasures!’

Penny looks at the back of the employee, who is gesturing exaggeratedly on top of the display stand opposite. Round shoulders, a chubby build, and comparatively nimble moves . . . His silhouette seems strangely familiar.

‘Motail!’

‘Penny! Had no idea you were the new hire!’ Motail excitedly greets her in return. Penny’s high-school friend and one of the loudest students, he always loved to be the centre of attention, and was also well known for doing incredible impersonations of the teachers.

‘Are you the manager here . . .?’

‘Of course not! Though I hope so one day. There is no manager on the fifth floor. We are free to sell dreams however we want, at our own discretion. Perfect for me!’ As Motail talks, his body keeps bouncing around, and he continues selling dreams to the customers below him.

‘Today’s on me, guys! You can buy one and get one free! Out of my own salary!’

‘Are you sure you’ll be okay to make that decision yourself?’ Penny asks worriedly.

‘It’s a lie. I was selling it at double the price in the first place.

’ Motail takes off his corduroy jacket and drapes it over his shoulders like a cape before he goes back to bouncing about here and there.

This place does suit him perfectly. Penny pictures herself dancing around and selling dreams on the display stand like Motail, and it quickly makes her heart sink.

‘Hey, Penny! Look at these. Some great products just came in!’

Before Penny knows it, Motail is already down from the display stand and next to her. In his hand is a dream box with a translucent blueish wrapper.

‘Is this . . .?’

‘Yes! It’s by Wawa Sleepland. “A Week in Tibet!” The view will be gorgeous. Of course, bits and pieces will be in black and white, but still. Sleepland creates scenery that’s far more awesome than in real life. You know that, right?’

‘But how come such a precious dream ended up here?’ Penny is confused. Wawa Sleepland is one of the Legendary Big Five. Her dreams rarely become available, even with months of wait-listing.

‘One of her customers ordered a made-to-order dream but failed to pick it up in time. I heard it was during midterms or something, so the customer apparently pulled an all-nighter. Any products not picked up in time also end up here on the fifth floor. I’m going to hide this until my shift ends, then I’ll take it with me,’ says Motail, smiling mischievously as he pushes the box deep inside the space below the display stand.

‘Please don’t say anything to DallerGut, Penny!

I want to keep my job,’ he adds, showing his snaggletooth grin.

‘And also, give some thought to applying for the fifth floor. Here, you get incentives for your sales!’

Penny eyes grow wide.

Motail adds, ‘But the base wage is way low.’

Now, Penny has to return to the first floor and meet DallerGut. Instead of taking the elevator, she takes the stairs to allow herself some time.