The last cigarette pointed up inside the crumpled pack. Ray
made a wish, begged for a million dollars from a benevolent Goddess he
often called lady luck. He lit it up, smoked it and snuffed it out when the burn reached the filter.
Ray
entered the corner store nearby. The door swung in, jingling the bell.
He was greeted by the smell of heavy incense that hung inside the
cramped store.
"Good afternoon my friend!"
said the store owner. He placed a pack of Marlboros and a scratch-off
ticket on the counter. Ray nodded and gave him a twenty.
He
took out a penny and began scratching. The top four numbers gave him
32, 19, 44, 5, and the bottom numbers gave him nothing to match. So much
for that.
"Maybe next time," said the owner, still retaining a smile.
