The L A S T one Standing W I N S

Pool Balls, Pocket the Money

     This horrid game of insanity begins in late June of 1998. Fog filled the air at approximately 5:26 PM. The dim light above our pool table, flickered and flashed, casting ominous shadows onto the old, plaster wall. Dust swirled around our heads, as if it were a large mass of fireflies trying to communicate to us. Chatter filled the room, correspondent to the flickering Rhythm of the old light. A hand travels up to my pale, almost ghostly face, as an elbow rests on the pool table, my emerald eyes, filled to brim with Boredom. As the books on the metal and rusty shelves collect dust, the chatter continues on. A mosquito, flying to the light, falls in an instant, crumpled up onto the green felt table before us. I wrinkle My nose in utter disgust. Another bites the dust....I avert my gaze from the burnt insect, and direct it towards the woman standing opposite the pool table as I. The porcelain faced female gazed back at me, her visible blue eye glimmering as she took aim with the stick in hand.

     "Watch out. I'm calling the corner pocket."

     She warned, a confident grin on her face. I begrudgingly stood up from my resting position, before crossing my arms over my chest as I licked the piercings on the inside of my lower lip. The woman smirked and took her shot. In a flash, the white ball flew across the soft, green terrain, and crashed into a yellow striped ball labeled "11". The ball was sent rolling into the corner pocket that she had called, all with a loud "clack". I raised my hands from my chest and clapped sarcastically, as she smirked and pulled back from the table, holding the pool stick in the manor that only a king would.

     "Haha! How do ya like me now?" She teased, hoisting herself over the pool table, her legs in the air and wiggling with pride.

     "I don't." I snapped, snatching the pool stick that I had propped on an old wooden chair.

     I moved around the table and to where the white ball had rested from her previous hit, as The woman let herself down from the table before walking over the small and old wooden table in the far left corner of the room. I leaned over the table and took my aim, calling the right pocket in between the two corner pockets. The woman smirked, taking a puff of her cigarette that was slowly burning out on the lonely table.

      She teased, "Ha! Bet You Can't make that shot! Twenty bucks says you can't do it!!"

       I rolled my eyes before carefully lining up my shot, angling my stick at a 45 degree angle.

     With a smirk, I remark, "twenty bucks says I can!" as I strike the white ball.

      It barrels across the table only to hit a group of five balls, all of which were solids. The force of the white ball sent all five solids flying into each hole.

     The woman in the shadow secluded corner exhaled as a long train of smoke floated lifelessly from her slightly ajar lips.

    "Well...guess I gotta pay up, huh...?". I smirked and slowly leaned up from the table, raising my hand up to shoulder level as I gesture my fingers for her to give me the money, my hair lazily falling over my eyes.

     The woman smirks and outstretches her arms over her head as she pivots one hip to the side, groaning softly, the cigarette settled between her teeth.

     "Nnnn...". She sighed deeply, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a crumpled twenty dollar bill, before walking to me and slapping it into my hand reluctantly.

     "Thanks mate!" I teased, stretching the bill in front of my nose and sniffing it as if it was the cure to all the world's downfalls.

     She laughed, teasingly pointing her stick at me. "Watch it!" She warned, "If I make this shot, you owe me 100 bucks!!"

     "You're on!!!" I mindlessly agreed.
Little did I know that this was the start of the end.

     The woman smirked deviously, and took aim with her stick, carefully lining up her shot before shooting and pocketing a purple striped.

     "Haha!! Yes!!! Pay up, buttercup!" She teased, beckoning her fingers for me to give her the money.

      I sighed and begrudgingly slapped the 100 dollar bill into her hand, grumbling beneath my breath. This cycle continued on over the weeks, doubling in price as the day's went on.

     Little did we know that this would soon be the death of us.