The Prize •ON HOLD•

The Prize

I turn on the screen of my achient computer. The screen stays black for a minute and then my desktop pops up. I click on 'Internet' and drum my fingers on my desk as I wait for it to load. After a moment, the google homepage appears and I begin to type. I press enter and a notification pops up

"You won! Click here to claim your prize."

I sigh and am about to close it when I realise that no harm can be done, can it? Worst that could happen would be that I don't get anything, right? I click on the notification and a new window pops up bringing me to an unknown website. The page contains photos of people who have won.

An Asian girl's picture comes up first. Beside the picture it says, "I didn't believe I would really win anything but I gave it a try, then I won a laptop!" I scroll down the page and read what each person said. Apparently, you can win pretty much anything. At the end of the page it reads, "Now it's your turn to win! Enter information provided to claim your prize!"

I scan to see what information is needed and then begin to fill it in.

Full name: Sara Rose Miller

Age: 16

D. O. B: 9th October 1996

Address: 96 Primrose Hills, Florence, South Carolina, USA.

Phone Number: 843 2204 987

I hesitate to press the "Claim my prize!" button but do. Then a new page opens and all it says is "Your prize will be sent to you soon." I don't even know what I'm getting? I was never a fan for surprises, but oh well. I close the page and feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I smile as I see who the call is from.

"Hey Jade," I say.

"Hey Sara. Wanna meet up?" She mumbles.

"Sure, where?" I ask.

"Dunno, um, Sorts?" she suggests.

"Yeah, kay. Be there soon," I say.

"Yup," she agrees before hanging up.

I slide my phone back into my pocket and slip on a wine colored hoodie. I then hop down the stairs and call "Going out! I have my phone," before closing the door behind me.

I walk casually down the road and admire the flowers in a garden I pass. It reveals roses, tulips, daffodils, primroses, and carnations. I'm tempted to pick a blood-red rose but resist the temptation. I advance forward and walk past the big green I played at as I child. It still had the climbing tree, but by now our old "hideout" was gone. Me and Jade used to play at it, we would pretend we crash-landed on a monkey island and that we would have to live there. We'd make food and we owned our own restaurant. In the game we were twins. I smile as I remember the fun we had, and all we needed was our imagination and what nature had to give us.

I slide around a corner and see Sorts in the distance. I quicken my pace and then wait outside the shop. A bad smell fills my nose but I ignore it best I can.

"Sara!" exclaims a familiar voice.

I look up and see Jade. "Hey!" I call.

She reaches me, "Hey, are you buying anything?" she pants.

"Yup, you?" I say as we wait for the automatic doors to open.

"Yeah," she replies as we slip inside.

I immediatlely walk over to the drinks section and pick up a cola, Jade doing the same. I then walk over to the selection of sweets. I reach for a packet of chocolate buttons but then pick up a bar instead. I plop them onto the counter and bite my lip as the worker scans them.