Page 117 - Where the Dream Ends ebook

The Billion Dollar Lottery

in New York State, but as of this hour the winner has still not
claimed the prize. Officials speculate the winner may not even
know he’s carrying the winning ticket.”

“See, what did I tell you,” Joey said, exuberantly.

“He said the winner may not know. Just because you heard
an announcer on a news broadcast quote an official who
doesn’t know anything doesn’t mean it’s so,” Larry cautioned.

“…47, 51, 67, 71.” The announcer’s voice caught their at-
tention simultaneously.

“What did he say?” Joey cried out. “Did you hear the num-
bers?”

“Only the last four,” Larry said. “I think they were 47, 51,
67 and 71.”

“Forty-seven…yep, you got it. Fifty-one, yes. Sixty-seven,
yes, you’ve got it. Seventy-one, yes. Yes! Yes! That’s four out
of seven. I knew it. I knew it. Just one more and you’re in the
money.” He was jumping up and down with excitement.

“Let me see that,” he said. Joey was right. Four of the seven
numbers matched. “Fine, he said, it’s one thing to pick four
numbers. It’s another thing to get all seven. The odds against
getting just five are overwhelming.”

Even as he said it, Larry’s heart was racing with the possi-
bility of actually winning anything. Inexorably, he was being
drawn into the trap he had resisted for so long.

“We’ve got to find out the other numbers,” Joey said, ig-
noring Larry. Let’s call someone.”

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