Eerie Indiana Triple Drabble: Job Offer

[froodle]

Marshall scanned the contract, a jeweller's loupe close at hand should there be any suspiciously small-print sections. He stopped at the sight of one particularly long string of digits.

"What's this?" he asked. "This figure here."

The Milkman from Human Resources glanced over.

"Oh, that's your annual leave," he said.

Marshall looked again. The number was significantly longer than three hundred and sixty five, even accounting for leap years.

The Milkman from Human Resources seemed to follow his train of thought, because he elaborated:

"It accrues with every month of service. Our records indicate that you'll work here continuously with us until the age of 117, barring a short sabbatical involving inter-dimensional travel, a possible cure for lycanthropy that turns out to be a false lead, and a single very angry cactus, which was pre-authorised and therefore did not affect your holiday entitlement."

"Cactus Cat?" Marshall asked, and the Milkman from Human Resources glanced down at his notes.

"No," he said. "Aside from occasional overly-aggressive skewering of people's shins in search of scritches, the Cactus Cat lives a long and peaceable life with one Simon Holmes."

"Oh," said Marshall. "I'll be sure to let Simon know. He'll be pleased."

He looked again at the number. It was still very large, but then, 117 was very old...

"You'll use it all up shortly before your 111th birthday," said the Milkman from Human Resources. "I'd tell you this to give you the chance to ration it and avoid that outcome, but I'm afraid it's inevitable."

Marshall thought about it.

"I'm not sure I want to work my last six years without any time off," he said.

The Milkman from Human Resources turned some pages.

"It appears that you and Management come to an agreement about that," he said. "The details are confidential."

Ongoing Verse: Milkman



Preparations by froodle. Winston Chisel, the morning he became Mayor.

Populace, in which it is just another unremarkable day in Eerie

Milk by froodle, in which Marshall develops a completely cromulent fear of milk trucks

Castle, in which there is unexpected architecture in Eerie

Janet, in which Janet runs

The Listener, in which Eerie dreams, Devon watches, and Melanie makes a decision

Underwhelming, in which a cursed book fails to deliver

Reanimator by froodle, in which the Milkman returns

Timeloop, in which Simon and Marshall repeat an unpleasant incident

LTI, in which the Eerie Dairy's health and safety record is tarnished, and blood must be shed

Timekeeping, in which the Milkmen and the Garbage Men ramp up the hostility

Multiplicity by froodle, in which Marshall must once again confront parallel realities, diverging timelines and public speaking

Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend

Spoiled, in which the Tellers are menaced

Slyboots by froodle, in which a certain corporal of the infernal regions comes to Eerie. Crossover with Johannes Cabal the Necromancer.

Festival, in which Eerie celebrates the summer

Strawberry by froodle, in which there is unauthorised hubbub in Eerie

Clockface, in which there is defacement of public property, and also a character death

Lillian by froodle, in which Marilyn's mother has concerns

Underwater, in which Lillian has a conversation with her son-in-law, who isn't quite her son-in-law

Agenda, in which the Mayor has a meeting

Homecoming, in which Janet and Marshall return to the Teller house

Nap by froodle, in which Marshall has a quiet moment in the Secret Spot

Cygnet, in which Lillian and Harley visit the lake

Pressure Tactics, in which the Mayor takes on Eerie's ravens

Remembrances of the Dead, in which the citizens of Eerie gather for All Souls

Waterlogged, in which there is a kelpie in the water main

Workaday, in which Simon goes to the office and encounters one of Harley's old foes