miracle gamblers
Miracles are hard to come by, but the devil is in the details.
The sound of a faint buzzing noise woke Chesca up from a deep sleep. It wasn’t exactly the sound she wanted to hear after working a double at the casino the night prior, the slots and jackpot sirens still ringing in her ears. Looking up at her clock, it took her more then a minute to clear her blurry vision. “Only three hours of sleep” she thought, groggily to herself as she threw the blanket over her head. As the buzzing continued followed by knocks, she realized someone had been knocking on her flat door.
Annoyance hung on her face as she opened the door only to be greeted by Mr. Finly, her land lord.
“Oh hello mr. fin-“
“It’s been 2 weeks Chesca, what did I tell you if you were late for rent again?!”
Chesca stared at him, flustered.
“Mr Finley” she managed to say, calmly.“Please, by tonight I’ll have the rest of it if I could ju-“
“NO CHESCA!” He screamed, a little to aggressively. You’re done here. I want your things out by the end of the week.”
Without another word, a mouth-agate Chesca closed the door, pressed her back against it and slid down until her knees met her forehead. This is not how she imagined her late 20s would be. She thought she would of gotten something right by now.
Chesca entered the back door of the Chippuwah Casino feeling more deflated then she had the day before, when she last spoke to Finley. Her shift went relatively smooth, serving drinks to gamblers wasn’t a bad gig in her eyes. After all, the tips were quite big when they got a little lucky. That is, however, until part of her cocktail dress had gotten caught on a woman’s dangly earring as she attempted to squeeze between tables.
“Oh my god” chesca cooed, as her cheeks began to burn a bright crimson. “I’m so sorry” she said quickly picking the now detached earring out of her corset top.
“God, you say? I haven’t heard about him in ages” the beautiful woman with platinum hair said coyly.
Chesca looked up confused meeting the gaze of the woman’s amber yellow eyes. “You know, this is sin city after all” the woman chirped. “Right!” Chesca said letting out a playful giggle.
“Here you go ma’am I’m very sorry again”
she said handing over the earring, but when she placed it in the woman’s palm the woman had suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly. Staring at her as if she was peaking into her very soul.
Chesca pulled her hand back from her grip as the woman sized her up.
“Chesca, was it?”
“I don’t believe I told you my name...”
“Name tag darling, keep up.” The woman said matter of factly.
“Oh, right..” Chesca replied under her breath.
“Are you interested in making some extra cash Chesca?”
“What gave you that impression?”
“I just have a bit of a 6th sense about these things.. don’t worry, nothing distasteful I assure you... all you need to do is try your luck.”
“Hah” Chesca couldn’t contain her chuckle at the irony.
“Trust me, I don’t have any” she cackled and began to walk away. The woman grabbed her arm again.
“Oh, but you will. You just need, this”
The woman said as she handed her a little black book out of what seemed like thin air. The book was small with a soft outer skin like suede with a tiny gold monogram in the lower right hand corner that looked like wings sitting beneath a halo.
“What is this supposed to be?” Chesca wasn’t understanding what the woman was saying. Beautiful as she was, it sounded like something an asylum patient would spew and yet, Chesca couldn’t bring herself to walk away. Something drew her into the woman like a magnetic force, for some reason or another believing every word she said despite not being able to explain why.
“Let’s just say it’s i took it from a “distant” cousin of mine. But sadly, I’m unable to use it for myself. Bad blood between families, You know how that goes.”
“And what exactly does it do?”
The woman leaned in closer, whispering now. “open it and find out.”
Chesca opened the book to a random page, though it was blank. Infact, they were all blank. Just before closing it again she noticed writing began to appear.
“Slot 77, third pull, $50,000”
“I don’t-.. what am I... what is”
Chesca stammered, not being able to comprehend what was happening before her eyes.
“Run along to the slot dear. Go ahead, just do what the book says. Just remember I get a the bigger cutof the winnings” The woman snicker.
“Whats your name?” Was the only thing Chesca managed to say.
“Mine? It’s Lilith, dear. pleasure doing business with you. Just a little word of caution; Don’t overuse it. It might draw.. “unwanted” attention to yourself, or worse, to me.” Her tone more serious now.
Without anymore hesitation, Chesca went over to the slot and pulled the lever. No hit. She pulled it again. Another dud. On the third try she pulled it and to her astonishment, the sirens blared. “JACKPOT.” It actually happened just like the book said it would. She started thinking of all the ways the money could help her situation. She considered maybe she was in a fever dream. It’s too good to be true, it had to be a miracle.
Soon Chesca got her new place with her $20,000 of the cut. From then on they went from casino to casino, using the book and splitting her winnings with Lilith. She didn’t want to bite the hand that fed her, Even though she was unsure what force was driving it. Everything that Chesca had ever wanted and needed out of life had come to fruition. She could finally go back to school, and not accumulate dept. maybe even buy a house, a car, travel the globe. The possibilities bounced in her skull like the Tasmanian devil.
“BANG BANG BANG” knocks roared from her door like a Tommygun. It was Lilith.
“Chesca, you need to stop using the book... I can feel them. They’re getting closer.” She genuinely sounded scared, which was very unlike Lilith.
“But, I don’t understand, isn’t this what you wanted? I mean, you GAVE me this book. I didn’t ask for it. And who are “they” anyway? You and your vague ramblings again.” Chesca tried not to roll her eyes so hard but couldn’t help it.
“Please. Just stop using it for awhile. I can’t exactly explain details being that mortals don’t have the capacity to understand.. just please. Stop.”
And with that warning she walked away. “I’m skipping town, you should do the same.” She said while walking down the hall. As if she knew something Chesca didn’t.
That night Chesca found herself in the Ceasers Palace Casino. It’s like she couldn’t even stop herself at this point. The rush of a sure fire win was like plasma in her veins. She couldn’t comprehend the feeling. Plus, she couldn’t take Liliths warnings seriously. “What a nut. It’s fine, I’ll just do it myself. I don’t need her.” Chesca thought to herself as she approached a slot. “Slot 676, second pull, $15,000.” The words appeared in the soft black book.
“Bingo” Chesca mouthed to herself.
She pulled the lever. Dud. She pulled it a second time and with no surprise “WINNER” began blaring over the speakers. Coins shooting from the slot like an avalanche. Her jaw clenched with confident satisfaction. Just then, A tap came at her shoulder. She turned, smiling at the two tall men standing behind her, though they didn’t look quite as happy. Her smile fell.
“Do you guys.. work here?” A confused Chesca asked, beginning to feel uneasy.
The two men looked at each other, then back at Chesca.
“No” the taller one replied. “Infact, my name is Michael. This is my brother, Gabriel.” He said pointing at the angry looking man next to him. Both were tall, with blue, almost glowing eyes. Their presence made Chescas chest heavy, like her legs couldn’t support her body against their intense aura“ I believe you have something of ours...”
About the Creator
Tonietta graves
story reader, attempting story telling.
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