FLASH FICTION:-- HORROR, SCI-FI, HUMOUR, CRIME, SLICE OF LIFE, ETC.

Friday 4 February 2011

High rollers

Well, I can tell you, you win some, you lose some.

Some lose more than others.

I did okay, I had more money than I needed, and I wasn't limping yet, unlike most of the guys in this game.

At a knuckle and ten grand per roll, the night would bring consequences.

I looked at him long and hard....

“Did you ever roll against McJaidy?”

“Yeah, I lost a finger and two toes in that game... less than McJaidy did though.”

I looked at his hands, a thumb and a pinky on the right, the index and middle on the left.

I kept my empty hand below the table, and pushed my money forwards with my full right.

“Yeah, you look like a lucky guy, so... roll the dice, huh?”


©2011 Stephen. J. Green.

15 comments:

  1. I think I'd run as far away from a game with those consequences as I could. Good story!

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  2. Reminds me of that messed up Twilight Zone episode. The only one to ever make me squeamish.

    No sir. I would not try my luck.

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  3. Reminds me a bit of that Roald Dahl story!

    Very good.

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  4. Hi guys, thanks for reading.

    Eric, yeah, I would definitely run too. But some people just literally gamble their lives away.

    John and Icy, I remember a tale of a man who bet his little finger that his Zippo would light ten times in succession, but he was a lightweight compared to these guys. :-D

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  5. That made me squirm... and hold onto my remaining digits.

    All 3 of them.

    (Never been a lucky man...)

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  6. Yep, those stakes are too high for me. Lot's of intrigue and creepy, cringiness in a compact package here Steve!

    That was a Hitchcock Presents episode. Steve McQueen & Peter Lorre.

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  7. Hi Rol, If I was a gambling man I'd wager you are kidding. :-D

    Thanks Harry, I cringe too when I think of losing fingers, I'd have to sell my guitars. :-D

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  8. Rather a different spin on giving them the finger.

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  9. One thing is for sure: with the stakes like that, you won't have to join a therapy group to quit the habit. It takes care of itself.

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  10. I once had a neighbor who blew off his head playing Russian Roulette. If he'd played this game, at least parts of him would still be alive. Great story Steve. Perfect in its simplicity.

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  11. Hi guys, thanks for reading.

    Tim, for an unlucky player at this game "flipping the bird" would eventually become an impossibility. :-D

    Stephen, yeah, when you run out of fingers and toes it's "game over", you wouldn't be able to pick the dice up any more anyway. :-D

    Rachel, that is awful, the poor guy.
    It does lead me to wonder though, if you succeed in killing yourself in a solo game of Russian Roulette, does it count as a win or a loss?

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  12. Definitely not the game I would be playing. I like all my fingers..and toes. I agree with John above, It does sound somewhat like a twilight zone episode.

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  13. Hi Gwen, definitely not my game either, one can become extremely attached to ones digits. :-D

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  14. Not many musicians play this game. Great concept and punch efficiently told!

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  15. Thanks Aidan, and yes, I would think losing a few games of this would definitely disadvantage any keyboard or guitar players.

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