The Lottery

   Today was the lottery. My mother prepared her hair, my sister buttoned up her new shirt, and I sat still and waited. Everyone seemed to want to win, to be the one whose name was chosen. Everyone had to put their name in at least once, but many people such as my family had their names in over ten times. I, personally, didn't really want to win. Everyone I knew dressed themselves up, somehow thinking that it would be more likely to win if they looked good. And I suppose it would be good to have nice clothes, if you were going to wear them for the rest of time.
   That was the prize: to be frozen as you are for the rest of time, and the even longer than that. You got to live forever, which seemed so appealing to the whole town but really just sounded boring and lonely to me.
   So we got in our car, drove to the courtyard across town, and lined up behind the jostling crowd of nervous onlookers. They were surrounding a large stage at the center of the courtyard, upon which there stood a tall podium and a shiny metal box with an opening in the top. The crowd quieted down in an anticipated silence as Pernicen Shelvy, the man who organized the whole lottery, took the stage.   He proudly stood behind the podium, tapped the microphone once, and began to speak in his low, sinister voice.
   "Ladie and gentlemen, I am delighted to see you all her today. Now, I hope you're all excited, because by the end of this day one and only on of you will live forever." Almost everyone cheered, save for me and a few of the wiser people in the town, and he silenced them again with a polite wave of his hand. "you all seem very enthusiastic, so let us begin." He reached into the opening in the metal box, and pulled out a small piece of paper. I scanned the waiting crowd, trying to determine who it would be. Maybe Roslelyn Bicky, the lady who worked at the bakery, or Tom Shinner, the librarian.
   "Everyone, please give us a hand for..." he paused for effect. "Aubrey Chase!"
   I didn't stay long enough to here the crowd applaud; I was out of the courtyard and running down the street  before they  even noticed I was gone.