Sunday, June 28, 2015

Wishstick

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.