Monday, December 21, 2009

luck

Amanda loved gambling...so much so, she was feeling guilty over the frisson of excitement she had entering this one.

Standing in line, she dropped the paper with her name on it into the kettle....then stood back with the rest as Michael reached into the pile of 39 pieces of paper, one from each of them, and paused before he read it aloud. Around her, cheers broke out, the frail volume masking the sounds of sobbing from the person who was named. Amanda sighed--wondering if Michael had fixed the outcome, wondering how long he could continue to do so without being caught.

That night, Amanda and Michael sat with the other 36 survivors; each enjoying their first meal in weeks, each accepting there would be another lottery, and soon. Amanda put her concerns and fear aside, turned to her husband with a smile and remarked she was surprised the meat didn’t taste like chicken, but, like salty pork instead.
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15 comments:

  1. TuonelaDecember 21, 2009 at 11:38 PM

    Now wouldn't that make a great TV show?

    (Cannibals used to refer to white man meat as "long pig")

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  2. DianneDecember 22, 2009 at 12:46 AM

    Very enticing, painfully funny. Hadn't read your work for a while, good to see it again.

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  3. missalisterDecember 22, 2009 at 9:31 AM

    A forkful of Shirley, I love it!

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  4. peggyDecember 22, 2009 at 9:02 PM

    um.... EWWW!

    Remember "THE LOTTERY" from grade school? I want to say Shirley Jackson was the author and the lottery 'winner' got stoned to death to ensure a fruitful harvest or some such reward.

    Thanks, Quin. Thanks for taking me back to about two years worth of nightmares in my childhood. Bless your heart. (shaking head at 'tastes like salt pork')

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  5. peggyDecember 22, 2009 at 9:03 PM

    (p.s. for my last comment I had to type the capcha "quary" spelled wrong, but boy, does it work!)

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  6. austereDecember 23, 2009 at 3:45 AM

    WOW.
    All the razor's worth and more.

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  7. AnonymousDecember 23, 2009 at 5:57 PM

    You never fail to deliver. Ever! And for that I've given you a shout out on my blog and nominated you for a Kreativ Blogger Award. Have a looksy over at my blog and all will be revealed.

    Kx.

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  8. Gerry HatrićDecember 24, 2009 at 2:32 AM

    Love it! :D

    And what's with the use of upper case?

    Robert

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  9. Dee MartinDecember 24, 2009 at 5:35 AM

    whoa, even more eerie to read on Christmas Eve morning...made my oatmeal taste funny :)

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  10. quin browneDecember 24, 2009 at 10:58 AM

    robert~i like to shake it up a bit once in awhile.


    to everyone else.. thank you for the time and the read and the always treasured comments...

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  11. Thom GabrukiewiczDecember 24, 2009 at 11:06 AM

    yummy stuff.

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  12. Paul D BrazillDecember 25, 2009 at 5:15 AM

    Oh, spicey!

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  13. BernardDecember 29, 2009 at 9:36 PM

    It just struck me, Quin: you used Capital Letters. I know you liked it. I know you want to do it again...

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  14. prashantDecember 30, 2009 at 1:25 PM

    Very enticing, painfully funny. Hadn't read your work for a while, good to see it again.

    How to make a website

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  15. when the musics overJanuary 5, 2010 at 12:06 PM

    I really liked this one. It has a very Twilight Zone reality twist at the end. I'm so happy we don't taste like chicken.

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