When I finally stop screaming, I pull myself together and inspect every inch of the room. Within minutes, I find nothing–no bathroom, bedroom, or refrigerator–just a room with a desk, chair, and a huge window overlooking a city that I don’t recognize.

It’s dreamlike how high up the building I’m standing in is. The wall behind me still has no door, no way to escape. The only thing that greets me is the pitch-black night sky.

The mysterious man’s remains are gone, and there is no evidence that he was ever here. It is only then that I notice a computer sitting on the desk. I don’t remember it being there a few moments ago.

I take a peek at the monitor. It’s paired with a wireless keyboard and mouse. I swallow, take a deep breath, and slowly lower myself into the plush executive chair, facing the monitor.

A map of the United States with red dots scattered all over is on display. I zoom in on a state. A list of names appears on the side, along with a headshot of each person.

“I guess these are all the people who have bought a lottery ticket.” When I click on a name, a live video with the person in it pops up.

“What is this?” I see a man working at a desk in an office.

“Hey, can you hear me?” He doesn’t respond. This must be him in the present, real time. Under his name are numbers, lottery numbers, and the jackpot it belongs to. I look down at the desk, noticing a blank lottery ticket next to a pencil that hadn’t been there before.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Where did this come from? I pick it up. I get it; apparently, this is how I pick the winners. I write the numbers on the blank ticket that match those under the person’s name, lay the ticket on the desk, and watch it magically disappear.

I don’t wait to see if this guy wins because I suddenly snap. Rage begins to fill me, and I shove the monitor off the desk, but I don’t hear it hit the floor.

I break down and begin sobbing so hard that I start choking, trying to catch my breath. The complete silence in the room has an unearthly feel. I don’t think I’m connected to the real world but in some kind of limbo.

Am I in a nightmare of my own making or in someone else’s?

After what seems like an eternity, I finally begin to calm down and decide to get out of the chair and inspect the computer that I’m sure is lying in pieces on the floor.

To my surprise, the computer is nowhere to be seen. I look around, and when I look back at the desk the computer has suddenly reappeared on the desk in the same spot it was before.

I want to start screaming again, but this time in anger. Everything that is happening to me right now, I blame on Marcus.

It’s all his fault. I didn’t need to find a safe with money. I had a scholarship and was getting out of our dying town.

He’s the one who wanted what was in the safe. Yet here I am instead of him.

As the man said, “Greed makes people do terrible things.” Surely, with this power, there is a way I can get back at Marcus. The one thing Marcus would hate, other than not winning the lottery himself, would be seeing someone he knows win it.

I type in Marcus’ name, but it doesn’t come up on the list. Guess he hasn’t bought a lottery ticket.

I quickly search our town for anyone who has bought a lottery ticket. Then I see a name I wasn’t expecting: Tim’s.

I bring up his live video feed. It appears he’s working in a factory after school. If Tim won, would he share the money with Marcus? I study the prizes for the lottery, and an idea comes to me.

I pick up the blank ticket, and copy Tim’s numbers on it. I lay it back down on the desk, and just like that, it disappears. Now, all there is to do is wait.