Storm Globe

Staring out the window, Jessie noted the perfect bright blue sky, with just a cloud sailing across the outside picture. She did not want to go out there.

There was nothing wrong per se with out there, except people. Sometimes she just couldn't do people. She tried, oh how she had tried, but the conversations just so often didn't interest her.

Maddie kept telling her she would be find once she'd found her tribe, and it was a nice thought. It didn't help her fit in though, even though it would have felt really good just to fit in somewhere.

Looking back over at the brown box on the table, Jess moved away from the window with a sigh. She didn't remember ordering anything but she may as well open it before heading out to work, there was a slim chance whatever was in there would bring a smile to her face and that would be good.

Using one of the blades of a pair of scissors Jess carefully sliced through the tape. Resting inside the box was a brief note, 'saw this and thought of you, Maddie xx'.

Putting the note aside, Jess pulled out the strangest snow globe she'd ever seen. It was she supposed a tropical island however when she shook it, the liquid changed colour, getting darker and there were small flashes that made her think of lightning. Jess loved storms, and while she had no idea where Maddie would have found it, it did indeed bring a smile to her face.

...

Shoulder tension eased as Jessie hung her satchel bag over the back of her chair. As far as shifts went it hadn't been a bad one. Bar work was pretty simple really. Take the order, pour the drink, fake the smile and engage in polite small talk. It was work she knew, and could do well. It suited her for the moment, though it wasn't her long term plan.

She reckoned she could manage maybe another year, giving her writing a go. The work though brought in enough that she only needed to touch a little of the savings she'd so brutally saved for. Her frugality helped, but she knew it wouldn't last much more than eleven months, then she'd have to get a more permanent type of employment. Unless a miracle happened.

Rubbing her temples she headed to the fridge, pouring herself a large juice, there was too much alcohol in her nose and clothes for her to settle into a glass of cheap wine just yet.

Glass in one hand, she picked up the storm globe and shook it. As the liquid darkened and the light inside flickered she smiled, it was nice to know she hadn't hallucinated the whole thing. Staring at the imitation tropical forest and almost white sand, Jessie wished she could be there instead of in the city. Leaning forward she touched the cool globe to her forehead.

And felt everything start to spin.

The globe slipped through her fingers and Jessie reached out to steady herself. Under her hand the wall felt strangely rough. Eyes closed she breathed slowly till the spinning ceased. Slowly opening her eyes she raised her glass to her lips, needing the cool tang of the juice.

It didn't get there.

Jessie blinked slowly. Once, twice. Then muttered, "I don't appear to be in Kansas anymore Toto."

Turning 360 degrees, she downed her juice in one, wishing she'd gone for the wine instead. If she didn't know better, she'd think she was on the island depicted in her snow globe, but that wasn't possible. Was it?

The beach was pristine, sand the palest of yellows, so that it was almost white. The stormy seas a dark grey with tones of blue, white foam caps on the wavelets rolling in. The sky a dark as if someone had run a brush through multiple shades of grey and swiped it across the horizon. The smell of ozone and crackle of static in the cool air felt good after the dry heat of the city.

The movement of the water was mesmerising, but Jess knew she couldn't stand here forever. She had no idea where she was, if she was dreaming, or if she was dying, which giving the strangeness of the circumstances wasn't out of the bounds.

Swinging left then right, she saw nothing to suggest an advantage, so with a sigh she started out left.

She'd taken three steps when her watch beeped. She swore at her own stupidity, her phone. Reaching for her pocket, she realised she didn't have her phone because it was in her satchel on the back of her chair. Looking at her phone she read the alert, 'Jess's phone is no longer connected'.

Not bothering to roll her eyes, she kept walking. Glass swinging by her side. After walking for ages and finding nothing, with the sky slowly getting darker, Jessie began to realise that regardless of the truth of her current predicament she would need something resembling shelter and drinkable water sometime soon.

Abandoning the beach she started inland. Not far in the tree-line the temperature increased as she was shielded well from the breeze. She hadn't been walking through the forest long, before she began to smell hints of smoke. Contemplating her options, Jessie chose to walk towards the scent, as bushfire didn't seem like it would be much of a threat.

Distance was difficult to gauge due to the need to forge her own way through the trees and undergrowth. She heard him before she saw him, "why is there never any rum?" the voice danced on the breeze.

Jessie kept moving forward, muttering to herself, "Damn it, now I want rum."

So focused on not tripping she nearly stumbled into the clearing, only managing to not be spotted because the half dressed man had his back to her. His build was lean, and his skin possibly tanned, or equally possibly dirty, Jessie figured, and his hair was at that awkward length synonymous with growing it out.

Instead of making herself known immediately she waited to see what he might reveal. Moving easily he picked up some wood and fed it to his fire, then took a stick and set it over the fire like a rotisserie chicken.

He wandered off to the right, out of Jessie's sight. She was really tempted to take whatever it was he had cooking, because her stomach was starting to growl. The only thing stopping her was the worry she might make an enemy of the only other person around for, she didn't know how many miles.

He wandered back into the small clearing, which conveniently was in front of rocky outcrop that looked as though it might provide some shelter. Jess may not be the most confident when it came to meeting strangers outside the safety of having a bar between them, but she knew her best chance of survival when she saw it.

"Um excuse me?" she said quietly.

The man spun, the stick from the makeshift rotisserie in his hand. "Where the hell did you come from."

"Melbourne," she replied.

"Huh?"

"Shook a storm globe and wished I was there and here I am." She looked around, "Not that I have any idea where the hell this is."

"Don't suppose you have any rum do you?"

Jessie shook her head and held up her glass, "This only had juice in it, though I did wish I'd chosen wine when I ended up here. I'm Jessie by the way."

"You're going to really be missing wine soon. I'm Simon," he waved the stick he was still holding, "and this is I have no idea." He put the stick back over the fire. "I really hope you have some skills you can bring to the party, coz I won't be doing everything."

Jessie smiled even though he couldn't see it. She felt his vibe, and just to be certain she stepped forward, "Don't like people much either hey?"

He looked at her suspiciously. "Why say that?"

"You didn't flinch at my ridiculous globe story, and you didn't make small talk. Those two facts lead me to conclude, something similar happened to bring you here, and you have no time to coddle someone through whatever this is. So tell me what I need to do to get some of that, whatever it is cooking."

Simon looked her over and nodded. "Tonight you get a reprieve, tomorrow will be welcome to my boot camp. I was a sports teacher before I ended up here."

Jessie laughed, "I'm a writer and bar tender, so it's a shame there is no rum, I serve a mean Painkiller cocktail."

"If we ever get the hell out of here I'll have to take you up on that." Simon turned the meat over and held his hand out for the glass, "That will prove to be useful, so we'll say that's your buy in for this partnership."