The Wickedest Games.

C O M M E N C E M E N T

China sat in the middle of the floor, eating a fresh mango from Mitch's garden. She had demanded that Cameron took her to his place so that she could apologize for her behavior towards him when they had their initial run it. He claimed it wasn't an issue and welcomed her into his little shack of a home with open arms. Very small for a married couple with three kids but it was clean and homey. Cameron offered many times to help him but Mitch didn't want his help. He admitted that it was pride.

China liked it a lot, though. There was something- an aura if you will- that lingered  in the walls of the house that she'd never felt before. It was a warmth.

"Okay everybody, grab a ticket." Mitch's wife, Gloria walked in pulling lottery tickets from her maid's apron. She handed one to everybody, including each of her kids. Once everyone was settled, she turned on the tv.

China never played the lottery before so this was strangely enjoyable for her.  She held her mango in one hand and the ticket in the other, staring at the television anxiously.

"And the winning numbers are... 28,"

"Not it." Cameron put his ticket down.

"49..."

"Welp." Mitch put his down too.

"23, 51..."

Gloria groaned and sat back on the couch as she watched her kids shake their heads. "Oh well. Maybe next time,"

"...and finally 87"

"Well, you were close." Mitch said leaning over and looking at Gloria's ticket. "Maybe we could get a couple hundred for that."

China cocked her head to the side a bit, staring at the one given to her. "Mrs. Gloria?" She wiped her bottom lip free of mango juice with her thumb.

"Yes, dear?"

"Do the numbers have to be in order? I've never done this before." China examined her ticket some more.

"No, not exactly. You just have to have all the numbers called."

"Oh okay." China nodded to looked at the TV once more just to be sure. "If that's the case, then I think you just won 13 million dollars." She stretched her arm out to hand Mitch the Ticket since he was closer to her.

"Get the fuck outta here," Mitch mumbled looking back and forth between the TV and the ticket. "Holy s- baby... You did it!" Mitch said looking at Gloria. "You finally won!"

The couple stood up and hugged. Then they screamed, they jumped up and down, then they ran around the house. Their small children joined in the celebration even though they didn't fully understand what that much money actually meant. Their happiness almost brought tears to China's eyes. She'd never been without so she didn't know exactly how they were feeling but it looked beautiful.

"Hey, let's let them have their moment." Cameron nodded his head towards the door.

China agreed and got herself up from the floor with Cameron's help. The two stepped out of the front door and headed towards the drive way.

Just as Cameron dug into his pocket for his keys, four strange guys came from behind the rose bushes. One guy forced China face down into the concrete and the other three did the same to Cameron.

"Check her pockets!"
"He doesn't have anything."
"Get that watch! Get the watch!"
"Her ring!"

China was too shocked to say anything. She couldn't scream for help. None of it felt real. But when one of the guys kicked Cameron in the head, she screamed a little. But she couldn't hear herself. Her mouth just hung open in terror as blood spilled from the gash in Cameron's  forehead.