Writer's Competition - Entry No 11

[Juan Aneiros]

Alea Jacta Est!
By Steffi Meyer

Each day, it was the same dreary ritual for Jessie. At six, she woke up,
took her shower, and got dressed. Sometimes, she would have a quick cup of
coffee before leaving her flat, and walking through the cold darkness to the
train station.

Today was just another day. As usual, she went through the small park and
crossed the small, wooden footbridge over the little creek. As she passed
the playground, she could feel the ghosts of the children who had not yet
arrived.

As usual, her trek took precisely ten minutes--no more, no less. As Jessie
entered the empty station, she looked furtively around, then she walked
toward platform three. Her train, she knew, was rarely late.

Suddenly, she heard the voice of a strange man echoing in the empty hall.
Jesse turned to see the old,seedy face of a beggar.

"Would you like to play a game with me ?" asked the beggar.

"Sorry, no" Jessie replied nervously, "I dare not miss my train."

The beggar peered deep into her eyes. He reached into the pocket of his
tattered coat, and pulled out a pair of greasy dice.

"Play, and you shall win!," he taunted her, "but if you don't play, then
you will lose everything!"

Suddenly,Jessie felt very curious, "And just what kind of game can lose me
all should I decline to
play?," she asked.

The old beggar thrust the cubes into her hand.

"Play, and you shall find out!," the pauper said , "Throw the cubes into
the air and let them fall to the ground!"

Jessie heaved the dice into the cold air and they clattered to the dirty
floor, to reveal a four and a six.

Falling to his knees, the beggar scooped up his greasy cubes and proclaimed,
"You have won !!!",then he limped out the door and disappeared into the
dark.

Jessie was confused..... but suddenly,she remembered her train! She ran
for the platform, but it was too late: Her train had gone!

Jessie was furious with the beggar, and with herself. How could she have
been so stupid as to have missed her train just to play such a game? Now,
she would be late to work, and her ill-tempered boss would preach at her!

As usual....later in the evening , Jessie switched on the local news. She
couldn´t believe what she saw and heard , the talking reporter head told of
a train accident not far from her home...a head-on collision with another
train. One Hundred Twenty people lay dead in the worst train disaster in
many years.


Jessie broke out in a sweat; she could hardly breathe. This was her train!
The train she rode to work every day. Every day, that is, but today!

Jessie remembered the old beggar and the cubes......Now,she understood the
meaning of the game.
The game, with that she would have lost everything,if she had not played it !!!

The End