A short story by sfilippo...

Everything seemed normal. I got up out of bed around the same

time as usual. I made my coffee as usual. Smoked a cigarette

as usual. Got dressed as usual. Sat down at my desk as usual.

Checked my email as usual, and then the phone rang as usual.

When the phone rings, I automatically have this reflex to

check the time. I know that if it's after 8:30am, then it's

either my wife or a solicitor and I always bet it's a

solicitor when it's early like that.
I checked the caller ID, before I picked up.
Strangely, the number showed up as 000.
I have never had a caller ID like that before. It had to be a

solicitor, though, so I ignored it and went on about my

business. Solicitors usually just try you once and then they

move on to someone else.
Not five minutes later - the phone rang again. I checked the

caller ID and there it was again - 000. What the hell is

this?
I picked up the phone answering in an abrupt tone.
"HELLO!?"
"Steve?" asked the deep male voice on the other end.
Man, I can't tell you how I hate this kind of trap. You know,

when a total stranger calls you up and just says your first

name as a question. It's like they are trying to get you to

verify what they really don't know. They really don't have

any clue as to who you are or what you sound like on the

phone or they wouldn't be asking in the first place. My

immediate response was an audible gasp followed by me ending

the call.
It was less than a minute this time and the phone was ringing

again, for God's sake! I checked the caller ID - same number

- 000. Man, this is bizarre!
Now, I was REALLY ready to talk with this guy, but not in a

kind way.
"Hello!"
"Steve?"
"Yeah, you got me. I'm Steve. What do you want?"
"How would you like to collect one million dollars tonight?"
This was weird. Usually they scam you by telling you you've

either won some money or you could win some money, but they

don't ask you if you want to collect the money within the

same day. I was convinced it was a scam, but I wanted to hear

which way this one was going to fall, so I acted somewhat

interested so he would think I was on the hook.
"Well of course I'd like to collect a million bucks. Who

wouldn't"?
"If you can wager wisely," he said, "then the money will be

yours."
"Wait a minute. You want me to make a bet, right?"
"Simple as that," he answered.
"And how much money do I need on me to qualify for this so

called bet"?
"Who said anything about you needing money to make the bet?"
"Well, that's usually how it's done. You know, a person makes

a bet using money, and if he's right, then he makes more

money."
"You don't need any money to win the one million dollar

prize."
"Do you need my checking account information or something

like that?"
I figured he would go that route. They try to pry your

personal banking information from you telling you they need

it in order to make a deposit into your account. But what

ends up happening is that they make a withdrawl instead.
"No. I assure you this is not a scam. If you will meet me at

the Hilton West in the lobby at 9 pm tonight, I will take you

up to my room and show you the money. If you still think this

is a scam after verifying that I actually do have the prize

in my possession just as I have told you, then you have the

option of either taking the bet or walking out. It will be as

if you were never made this offer. But once you see the money

and decide you want to make the bet, then you won't be able

to back out."
Okay, so there's a point of no return? Correct?
"That's exactly right."
"And what if I lose this bet."
"Ah yes, well the details are for those who agree to make the

bet, and you haven't done that as of yet. If you are

interested in my offer, then you know where to go and when to

be there. You are not allowed to bring others with you or the

offer will be void."
CLICK!
This time, he hung up on me! I got a laugh out of that one.

Really original for sure. Man, that one takes the cake.
So there I was thinking about all of this. It was about

twelve hours until 9pm would roll around.
I imagined myself showing up to the Hilton later that night

and getting mugged by this guy's thug buddies. That seemed

kind of unlikey, though. Especially since he told me I

wouldn't have to bring any of my own money with me to make

the bet. It was so strange and the more I thought about it,

the more I became compelled to at least meet with this guy in

the lobby of the hotel. It would be a public place and

nothing bad could happen to me.
How often does a chance to win a million bucks come around?

Not often enough. Sure, there's lots of chance games out

there where the jackpot is much higher than one million

dollars, but the odds are ridiculous to say the least.

Apparently the odds that I'll win this guy's money is

fifty-fifty. I'll either win or I won't, and I don't have to

contend with astronomical odds either.
I had to check this thing out. I made up my mind right then.

I was going to meet this guy in the lobby of the Hilton West

later that night.
My wife got home from work around 6pm. I never mentioned any

of this to her nor did I want to. I had planned earlier in

the day that I would just tell her I needed to slip out for

some cigarettes.
The time was approaching 8:30pm. I needed to get going if I

wanted to meet with this guy on time.
"Hun, I need some smokes. Do you want anything?" I asked.
"I don't think so. Are you out of cigarettes already?" she

remarked.
"Not quite, but I better get some."
"Okay." she answered.
I left the house and headed straight to the hotel.
When I arrived, the place was almost deserted. I was really

surprised. Usually, the occupancy is around fifty percent

full at the very least. I assumed there wasn't much going on

in the city to garner the hotel's business that night.
I parked my car and started walking up to the hotel's main

entrance. I kept fighting off thoughts of how stupid all of

this seemed. What I wanted to see was a million dollars in

cash.
I walked into the main lobby and took a quick glance around.

There were a couple of people at the counter talking to the

clerk. A bellhop came up to me wanting to know if I needed

any help with my luggage. I got a chuckle out of that, but

kindly told him no thanks, and that I was just here to meet

with someone.
"I don't need help with any luggage YET, but maybe later

tonight I will!" I thought, as I imagined myself hauling one

million dollars out of there!
I glanced over to a small restaurant and bar off to the left

of the hotel counter and noticed a tall thin man had been

observing me. He seemed to know me and he stood up from his

table and headed my way.
When he got to me, he reached out his hand.
"Hello Steve, my name is Olverson Redding."
I shoke his hand and asked, "How do we know each other may I

ask?"
"We don't. It's just by chance that we are meeting tonight."
"I don't understand," I replied.
"You were selected to be given a chance to win a lot of money

tonight."
"Okay," I answered.
I didn't really want to drill him with a lot of questions at

that time. I just wanted to see the money.
"Are you ready to go up to my room?"
"Sure," I said and I followed him to the elevators.
I couldn't seem to pick up on any kind of a vibe from him

while we were in the elevator. He just seemed like a nice

average guy. Pretty harmless really.
We went all the way to the top floor where the executive

suites were. I had been up there before for a political

after-party for one of my wife's friends who was into

politics.
I followed him to his room which just so happened to be the

same room I had been in before. What a coincidence this was.

I visualized the lay-out of the room before he even opened

the door. When we entered the room, it was just as I

remembered it.
There was no one else in the room but he and I. I really

thought there would be body guards to at least keep an eye on

the money.
"Wait here," he told me as he walked into another room.
He came back carrying a large green duffle bag like the ones

the military soldiers use. This one looked full of something

and I was thinking it was money.
He opened it and dumped the contents onto the floor near my

feet. Sure enough, it was nothing but cash. One million

dollars to be exact.
I couldn't believe it. Man, that's a lot of money when it's

in a pile at your feet. My mind started racing about how

everything in life would change. No more worries about money

again. I could buy anything I wanted and no one would even

have to know about me having this money. It was a dream come

true.
"Now, remember what I told you about making the bet,? he

asked me as I was entranced on all that cash.
"What about it?" I replied.
"We have come to that point in my offer where you must decide

whether you want to take the bet, or leave now."
"I just need to know one thing," I continued, "Will this bet

put my life in any kind of danger whatsoever?"
"Yes, it could," he replied.
"How much danger?"
"It could cost you your very life if you bet unwisely," he

answered.
I thought to myself for a moment. Hmmm? If I bet 'unwisely'

as he put it, I could die, but if I bet wisely, I would be a

millionaire. Damn, I hate it when this happens to me. I'm

standing there smelling this money and touching it and it

could be mine, or I could die. Now that really is bad.
This was my only shot. Surely my common sense and everything

I know about gambling will give me an edge. I've got to go

for it, so I did.
"Okay. I'm in."
He walked to the door and placed some sort of lock device I

have never seen before on it. This thing looked like it came

from outer space. It emmitted a blue glow and a low rythmic

hum.
"What is that thing?" I asked.
"It's my insurance that you are committed to the bet."
Wow, this guy is dead serious, but in the back of my mind I

sort of knew something like this was coming.
"You will not be able to leave this room until the results of

your bet are final," he explained.
"Okay," I said.
what else could I say. I was in and that was that. I was past

the point of no return. For all I knew my life WAS on the

line and I became extremely motivated to win.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be," I replied.
"Follow me, please."
I followed him into the room where he had gone to get the

duffle bag. There was a table and a chair before me. On the

table was one of those stainless steel entre' warmer things

that fancy restaurants use to cover your food with to keep it

warm.
"Have a seat, but do not touch anything on the table." he

ordered.
"Alright," I replied and I sat down in front of the entre'

warmer.
My imagination started to wonder. Was there a rattlesnake

under there? Whatever it was, I knew just about how big it

was, or should I say how big it wasn't. It was definitely the

size of that warmer or smaller, but still, that could be

almost anything.
"Are you ready to make the bet?" he asked.
"Yes... ready," I answered.
"Here it is... You have two choices... Either there is

something under the dish cover or there isn't. If you bet

that there is indeed something under the dishcover, but you

are incorrect, you lose the bet, and get nothing but the life

you now have. If you bet that there isn't anything under the

dishcover and you are correct, you win the bet and get the

money. If you bet that there isn't anything under the

dishcover, but indeed there is, you must consume whatever it

is, and whatever it is could cost you your life. And finally,

if you bet that there is something under the dishcover and

you ARE correct, you will win the one million dollars."
"Let me think about this...", I grabbed my chin trying to

recall every detail of what he had just told me.
"So, if I say yes there is something there and there is, I

win. Or if I say nothing is there and nothing IS there, I

also win the money, right?"
"That is correct, Steve", he replied.
"But on the flipside of this coin", I continued, "If I say

nothing is there and something is there, then I have to

consume whatever it is that is under there, right?"
"Yes", he answered.
"...and it could kill me???"
"Correct."
"And the fouth scenario would be that I could say something

is under there, but if nothing is under there, I just walk

out of the room with my life, but no money."
"That is correct, Steve."
I sat there rubbing my chin starring at the dishcover and

realized that there was only one option I could take that

would insure that I get out of this alive. If I was wrong I

wouldn't become a millionaire, but at least I would live to

see another day. My bet was going to have to be that there

WAS something under the dishcover.
"Are you ready to make your bet, Steve?"
"Yes, I am. There IS something under the dishcover!"
He reached to the dishcover and took hold of the handle.
"Are you ready, Steve?"\
"Sure! Let's see," I said.
I knew I had made the best bet possible.
He lifted up the dishcover to reveal a little Bonsai Tree

planted in a shallow clay pot.
I moved back in my chair with surprise.
"Wow! A bonai tree??? Nevertheless, I win, right?"
I looked at him somewhat puzzled, but ready to take his

money.
He smiled at my ignorance.
"Not a bonai tree, Steve, but The Tree of Life!"
"THEE Tree of Life????" Is that what you are telling me?"
"Yes, indeed and you have chosen wisely."

The End
_____________________________________________________________

If you are an Atheist or an Agnostic or just holding onto

doubt about the afterlife, may I suggest that you make at

least one wise bet in your life and choose that there IS

something on the other side of this life. It would be a

foolish gamble to bet otherwise. Find out why Jesus is truely

the way. He said He was, but He also backed it up with

actions. No other human has been able to do what He did

according to the bible. Many men have come into this world

claiming greatness and godliness, but just one Man was

actually able to conquer this life and then offer His reward

for doing so to anyone who would repent of their pride and

sin. It's been made easy for us. Just do it and get free!
Make the best bet of your entire life today!