Fractal Realities: The Winner

He sat in his car, parked in front of a small white house in Podunk, Florida. He had never been here before but he had been assured by the clerk at the sole convenience store on the edge of town that this was the house occupied by the woman who had just won the state lottery but who hadn't yet claimed the prize. This was the whole reason he was here.

The longer he delayed, the more likely that the clerk's body would be found. Best to get the job done and be on his way. He pulled his pistol from the glove box. Stepping out of the car, he closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar. He started up the sidewalk.

Cicadas sang in the heat of the day. Big band music drifted quietly from the open window and he could hear the woman's voice singing along with the music. And why not? If he'd been sitting on a lotto ticket worth in excess of $50 million, he'd probably sing too.

He climbed the three concrete steps to the front door and gently tried the screen door. It was open. He raised his pistol and stepped inside.