The Lottery

 

            Excitement flooded through Chris when he woke up. Today was Christmas! He threw off his covers and looked at his alarm clock. It said 3:17 AM. Reluctantly, he climbed back into bed. It was still too early to even go wake his brother, Jack.

            Chris tried to close his eyes and go back to sleep, but it was no use. Reaching for his notebook, he propped himself up in his bed and began to write. If he couldn’t sleep, he might as well work on his story about two friends on a treasure hunt in the jungle. After writing for a while, he paused, wondering what was going to come next.

            That’s when he noticed the red envelope sitting on his bed. Curious, Chris picked it up and pulled out the card from inside. All it said was: “You’ve won the lottery! Come and claim your prize at the bottom of the stairs at 3:58 AM.”

            Chris looked at the clock again: 3:56 AM. Was Jack playing a trick on him? Why did it need to be such a specific time? Usually, Chris was the one to wake up Jack on Christmas morning.

            Thinking that he should at least check it out, Chris tiptoed silently out of his bedroom toward the stairs. It was absolutely silent in the house. If Jack was really waiting for him, he was doing a good job of hiding. The staircase was pitch black as Chris walked carefully down it, using only his sense of touch. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he carefully whispered, “Jack? Where are you?”

            Suddenly, the area flooded with light, and Chris found himself in the middle of a vast, open stage. What had happened to his house? Standing in front of him was a man dressed in a business suit. With a smile, he shook Chris’s hand and said, “Congratulations! You’ve won the Christmas lottery!”

            “What?” Chris was totally bewildered.

            “You’ve been chosen to receive one Christmas wish. What will it be?”

            The man looked at Chris expectantly, but Chris had no idea what was happening. “I get a wish?”

            “Sure! Make a wish, and it will be granted.”

            Wow! What was he going to wish for? After thinking for several minutes, Chris finally answered, “I wish I could get a puppy for Christmas.”

            The man nodded. “Your wish will be granted. Thank you.” He turned around and walked away.

            Chris was left alone, wondering what he was supposed to do next. The light was fading fast and he was starting to panic. Shuffling away from the encroaching darkness, he felt his heels hit a carpeted step. He turned around, walked up the stairs, and down the hall to his own room. Climbing back into bed, he wondered, Did that really just happen? He’d always wanted a dog, but his mom was allergic. He would never be allowed to keep a pet.

            Feeling so much more tired now, he lay back in bed and promptly fell asleep. A few hours later, he was being shaken awake by Jack. “Come on, Chris, it’s Christmas!”

            Groggily, Chris shook his head to clear the sleep from his eyes. What a weird dream he just had. He followed Jack downstairs to the Christmas tree, where they promptly unwrapped the small mountain of presents beneath it. Their parents looked on sleepily.

            The rest of the day passed quickly. Chris had so many new toys to play with, but he couldn’t shake off the disappointment that the wish he’d made wouldn’t come true. When it was time for bed, he slowly went upstairs to his room and shut the door. There, on his bed, was a black and white puppy with a red ribbon tied around its neck.

            Surprised and ecstatic, Chris scooped up the puppy in his arms while it enthusiastically licked his face. A red envelope fell to the floor, and he picked it up, setting the puppy gently on the bed. Inside was a card much like the one he’d received earlier that morning. It said: “Here is your puppy. Because of your family’s special circumstances, this is a magical animal. He will be your companion as long as you like, but he can’t be seen by anyone else. He will never shed, and you don’t need to worry about feeding him. Enjoy!”

            After feeling slightly let down for most of the day, Chris suddenly felt the happiest he’d ever felt. Hugging his new puppy, he knew this was the best Christmas ever.