Thanks to the kind folks who purchased books the past three days. Here's an excerpt from a story, The Dead Pool, that appears in A Hitch in Twilight:
A handsome, light-haired man of 35, casually dressed, weaved his way through the traffic in the middle aisle of the Manhattan Commodity Exchange. The area, approximately the size of a city block, was shared by firms trading metals, oil, perishables, and financial indexes. The walls on three sides were comprised of computerized boards listing the latest prices. The upper half of the fourth wall was a glass enclosure, the observation deck. A perpetual hum of varied intensity hung about the place. At this moment it was very
low.
The young man, a badge reading "Wyn" clipped to his collar, veered into an almost vacant pit to his left. "Hey, Artie, you want in?" he said, dangling a small paper bag before the eyes of a graying man seated on a stool, reading a newspaper.
Artie gazed through wire-rimmed glasses. "What's that?"
"The dead pool. Five bucks a week 'til somebody croaks."
Artie smirked. "No thanks. Last time Fat Joe went in those bastards tried to bring the whole trade center down on top of us. We were out six months. I'm still findin' little pieces of glass in my scalp."
"Nothin' happened to the rest of us."
"I'd rather not take the chance. Who died, anyway?"
"Vincent Price. He's joined Vulnavia."
Artie's head flew back as he laughed. "Who had him?"
"I did. That's why I'm stuck runnin' it now."
Artie shook his head with disbelief. "I can't believe you won again. 'Money goes to money.' Who'd you have last time?"
"Arthur Ashe."
Artie rolled his eyes heavenward. "You guys're bad. Gallow's humor is one thing...."
There were more than a hundred slips in the bag, each carrying the name of an aged or infirmed celebrity.
"Hey, Gordie," Wyn called to a tall man in the center aisle, "kick us off."
He held the bag aloft. Gordie reached inside with a long hand that featured skeletal-like fingers. He smirked, having drawn Bob Hope.
"He's due," said Wyn, shrugging.
"He's never gonna die. He's gonna outlive God. Just my luck."
Read Vic's stories, free:
http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
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