The Lottery

The Lottery.

William was a salesman, a poor one. Working on commission for the past three years had done nothing to help his dream of one day owning a penguin sanctuary. He sat in his one room apartment in the bad part of town feeling particularly low today. The office had been having a contest between the sales staff, with the prize a shiny gold cup and $1000 bonus. William had finished last. He turned on the television looking for something that might cheer him up. "The search is on for the mystery millionaire, as the jackpot prize remains unclaimed..." He looked in his fridge. Half a can of mouldy beans and a pint of milk looked back at him. "The $200 million prize must be claimed before midnight tonight." He hunted in drawers for a pizza menu. "We urge viewers at home to check and recheck their tickets, those numbers again are 07, 12..." He rifled through his jacket looking for his wallet. "15" It fell out onto the floor. "23" He picked it up and opened it. "31" A folded up piece of paper fell out into his hand. "40" He unfolded the small wrinkled piece of paper and read the text on the front. He slumped back into a chair as the colour drained from his face. William's life was about to change.