(Ailis POV)

My heart was pounding. This was the first time I had ever been anywhere like this. I looked at the walls. Potions lined every empty space of the room and there was no way I was going to be be able to figure all of this out by the end of my shift. I could barely tell the difference between shampoo and conditioner let alone a hundred potions all the same shade of blue.

I followed the Leprechaun in front of me as she led me towards the room of potions I would help organize. There was nothing more frightening than on the first day being left alone to figure things out. I could feel my hands shaking as she continues down the hallways of rooms. People stare at me out the windows on the doors that kept them locked in their own room. They seemed scared, like they were in a mental asylum. Chills shoot down my spine as she stops in front of another plain gray door. She opens it turning to look at me.

"Here is your stop," She mutters as she looks at the clipboard in her hand. I shook my head as I take the few steps inside the room. The door closes behind me and I search the room to see how many shelves I had to work with. There was over a hundred and I couldn't quite see the top. Maybe there were thousands but I wasn't able to fully tell. I waited for further instructions like I had been told.

Soon a booming voice echoes over the intercom as the lights begin to turn on.

"Ailis, you will organize these potions based on what they do. Please keep all romantic potions on one side of the room and the rest on the other. Once the task is complete ring the bell up above and someone will come to check your work for payment," My heart raced as the voice continued to echo even after they had stopped talking. My eyes shot up looking at the bell hanging above my head. I wasn't even sure how I was supposed to ring it. This was like a nightmare no wonder nobody wanted to grow up and get a job. I quickly closed the distance between the shelves and I. I needed to get to work if I wanted this done by the end of the day.

The first potion I picked up was a bright yellow color. The liquid sloshed around in the funnel as it threatened to spill over the top. I panicked as I watched it swish closer to the edge than I had ever wanted it to be. I checked the label to see what it would do. It was a sunny potion meaning it would bring happiness to whoever used it.

Couldn't be the worst thing I could drop on my shoes today.

I placed it on the floor picking up the next one. I wasn't sure how they wanted me to organize these but I figured I needed to see what I had before I could place them in an order. Maybe I would do this by color. Or would that be too confusing if there were too many of the same color. I shuffled through a few more organizing them on the floor by what they did. A few love potions, some happiness ones to go with the first yellow liquid, some positions for wealth and beauty now lay scattered on the floor. But there still seemed to be no rhyme or reason to how I needed to organize these. I started working on the second shelf pulling of a bright orange liquid. The title of the potion was flowers.

"What the hell does that mean?" I question as I look at the liquid. I pulled the cap off quickly taking a whiff of the chemicals. An overwhelming sensation of aroma wafts through my nostrils as pour the smallest amount possible onto the floor. A few flowers sprung up from the ground all bright orange alstromeria. This was the most useless potion I had ever seen, why would anyone ever need something like this. I placed it in it's own pile, a pile that would later be filled with useless potions with no point.

Maybe I would put those on the top shelf. Once I had all the shelves cleared the floor was covered with different colored liquids until it was nearly impossible to walk anymore. I scoffed wanting to just kick as many bottles as I could, but the fear of what chemical reaction would happen made me think twice about this.

The flowers still mock me as they continue to grow in the middle of the floor. They grew until they were half of the room in height. Almost towards the bell. suddenly it hit me. That was how I was supposed to ring it. I was supposed to find the proper potion to reach the height of the room. This wasn't about how they were organized this was completely a test to see how smart I was. The money must be based on how quickly I figure this out.

I shook my head at how dumb I had been. Why hadn't I thought of this earlier? I looked around the room staring at all my piles. The light was flickering up above and I couldn't let it bother me as I started digging through the different colors. Each pile a mess of potions that seemed kind of relatable, but I couldn't seem to remember where I had placed the height potions. I didn't want to grow super tall I needed something to form that I could climb on.

Then it hit me.

I had seen a beanstock potion in here. Chuckling to myself at how stupid they were to have a potion after the childhood story that parents would tell at bedtime. The magical seeds that would grow. That's how I found the potion. I searched for the one that was green and had a few sesame like seeds floating throughout the liquid. I chuckled to myself once again as soon as I found it. This would help.

I picked the flowers the best I could though the stems were thicker than my hands. They didn't want to fall. I kicked and pulled until finally they broke free. I poured some of the liquid in the bottle I held onto the stem of the flowers that were once there. The beanstalk grew and continue to grow until it smashed into the ceiling ringing the bell for me. I shrugged. Well at least I didn't have to use all of my energy climbing up there to ring it myself.

I tapped my foot on the ground for a few seconds waiting for someone to come in to tell me what to do next. I was feeling confident with myself at how quickly I had finished the first puzzle. I wondered if there would be more and if they would be harder than this. If that was the case then this job was something I could get used to and see myself doing. This first one had been easy and I was sure the next couldn't be too much different. Soon a knock came on the door before it flung open.

There was no one there. The door sat empty as it was held on its hinges at an awkward point between closed and open. I watched carefully waiting for something to dive through that door. I searched for the weapon potions just in case I needed to use one. I was going to be ready.

No one came though.

One of the tiles on the floor lit up as I carefully made my way towards it. When my foot hit the tile a small click noise echoed through the room as the next tile turns a bright blue. I step on that one as well. The same click noise echoes again and the next tile lights up. I continue doing this until I find myself halfway down the hallway. The wall seemed to be closing in on me as I continue to walk.

The light got brighter as I continued to walk until I found myself in another room. A small table sat in the middle. The walls were a gray color that was awfully depressing if you asked me. I quickly followed the tiles over to the table before I was sitting down in the chair. An envelope sat delicately on the table as I slid my hand towards it. It was glowing blue as it waits patiently for me to take it in my grasp. I pick it up quickly holding it to my chest.

A glowing screen appears on the walls as it tells me my time. It took me fifteen minutes to get all the potions pulled off the shelf and organized on the floor before I figured out how to ring the bell. Underneath the television was a chart that showed how much someone would get paid for how quickly they completed the course.

I quickly searched the times looking for the fifteen minute mark. It was closer to the bottom of the chart. My eyes followed the line to the other side of the screen, where a tiny number was listed in the far column.

"One gram?" I questioned as I looked at the envelope in my hands. I ripped the top off of it opening it up to see the smallest amount of gold sitting on the bottom of the envelope. If it was any less I wouldn't even be able to get it out of the envelope. I scoffed slamming my had down on the table as I quickly grabbed the fleck of practically dust. I did what I needed to create the magic that the gold would provide. It was barely any.

The loud booming voice appeared over the intercom once more.

"The work day has ended. We will see you next time," I slammed my fist on the counter once again. What did they mean the work day had ended? I had barely made anything.

I sat in the chair for a few more minutes before a sharp pain echoes through my body. Had I just been electrocuted by the chair? I fumbled out of my seat until I was across the room. The chair glows a bright white as the electricity continues to flow through it's metal parts.

"These people are insane," I mutter as I enter the hallway once again trying to find my way out. Using the last little bit of magic I had earned today I teleport myself back into Emerson's room where she slept.

Once I was back in Emerson's room I could feel the anger boiling up inside me. I had worked for literally nothing. I had just used everything up that I had earned today just to get home. Is this what it was like to have a normal job? If that was the case I wanted nothing to do with it. I wanted to just scream into my pillow and then head out for a relaxing game of poker.

With Rumple...

I shook my head. I couldn't think that way, I had made a commitment to myself that I had to be done with gambling. There was nothing I could do to do that and not get in trouble. If I could, I would. If there was a legal version of gambling in the magical world... I would.

I found myself pacing as I thought about what I was going to do. Was I going to head back to work tomorrow? Was I going to find another way to earn money? What was I supposed to do to earn enough so that Emerson can keep making the insane wishes she was making.

The only thing I could do to keep up with this girl was gamble.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt...