"It's simple. Nobody wins anything but their friends. It's rigged."
"I got the five and the one, though."
"And that's all you'll ever get." I crumple my ticket. "One more week and I'm done with this."
"You've got three weeks. If I were you, I'd go down swinging like a bat."
"Gambling is your thing, not mine."
"The way I see it, that's your only shot; unless you want to turn those coins beneath your bed into a castle."
"I had a castle once," I mumble.
"What? When was this? And where?"
"That was a long time ago. I don't really want to talk about it."
"You can't just drop that on me and clam up."
"I'm sorry. I should've never let it slip."
"I want details."
"You know what? I'm going for a walk."
"Where? To the park? I'll join you."
I flash another look at the overbearing green floral painted on to her red skin.
"I don't have time for you to change. Besides, I need to be alone to gather my thoughts."
"Come on, Mary. Don't leave. At least not until you pick next week's numbers."
"What? Keep wasting my money on something that's not worth the ink it's printed on?"
"You said one more week. Remember?"
"All right. Dammit!" I give in and dip into my pocket for five dollars. "But no more after this."
"I hear you," she replies in a light-hearted manner. "No more after this. Okay. Call them."
"I prefer to write them down," I say, and grab her pen.
YOU ARE READING
NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?
FantasyThere is a war coming! In it, Lilith and the impostor God must battle for all human minds on earth. But one girl can stand in the gap for all humanity. However, to prove worthy for this feat, Mary must begin shadow work to take the mark upon herself...
