Page 10 of Between Earth and Eternity
Nineteen more. Breathe.
“Our second winner is . . . Sakeem Anwar.”
Eighteen.
“Colson Bennet.”
Seventeen.
“Laz Soren.” Interesting name.
Sixteen.
I go into a trance. Names continue to be read off, but I don’t retain a single one.Not Elliot. Not me. That’s all that matters.Each spin feels like a load off my shoulders, like a weight being shed.
“It’s almost over,” El whispers, causing me to straighten a bit and focus. He still hasn’t let go of my hand.
“Our nineteenth winner is . . . Romy Turner.” A little girl probably no more than eight appears on the screen. What will her family do? Does she even have a family?
Please let this end.
If we can all stay together, we can get through what is coming. I know we can. We might starve, but at least I can be with the people most important to me. There would be nothing worse than miles of darkness separating us from one another. I know that, no matter how hard things get, if I have family, we can get through anything.
It won’t happen. It can’t happen.
“What an exciting evening for our winners. To end this historic event, our last lucky Lottery winner is . . .”
Maybe it’s because it’s the last name or maybe my mind is processing slower than usual, but the seconds feel like hours. The clicking of the spinning names echoes loudly. I’ve kept my gaze locked on the screen this whole time, not daring to blink, but just before the name is revealed, I close my eyes tightly.
Finally, Zara’s voice floats through the room as the last winner is selected.
It’s done. El squeezes my hand tighter, on the verge of painful.
“Skyler?” It’s my mom’s voice. I snap my eyes open, but it’s not her soft beautiful face waiting for me there, it’s my name and picture displayed on the screen.
I am the final winner of the Lottery.
“For security purposes, Lottery tickets cannot be traded, transferred, auctioned, or sold. This will also ensure thorough screenings of Zenith passengers to prevent offenders or any members of nefarious groups from boarding. Safety is our top priority.”
Announcement from Mannox Industries, November 2128
“And I thoughtmygift was a surprise.”
Now he chooses to be funny. Really?
“Elliot,” Rebecca warns him.
My name and picture take their place next to the other nineteen winners. Zara says more, but I don’t retain a single word before the screen goes dark.
The room remains silent, everyone staring until El slowly says, “San Fran? You okay?”
I want to move or respond, but my mouth and limbs don’t work. It’s like a part of me is already there. Out there in the expanse of the never-ending universe, where the silence and darkness swallow me whole.
I stand up abruptly, causing everyone to jump. “I’m going for a run.”
“Skyler,” my parents say in unison. I turn to see their worried faces, and the crack in my heart grows.
“Run. I need to run,” I say robotically. It’s all I can manage if I don’t want to crumble. I grab my hat out of habit and step into the night. The street lamps will guide me to the trail, but I won’t need them with the full moon glowing above, the dust clearing just enough for the beams to penetrate the darkness. The restraint of my jeans doesn’t faze me as my jog turns into a full-out sprint. It might be the fastest I have ever completed this route, but time is lost to me as I quickly find myself at the top of the hill just as I was this morning.
