The Lottery chapter 30

Emma looked as though she had all her blood drained suddenly, then with a soft squeak, she sang out with her skin glowing once again, “Cara! Cara! Is that the Holy Ghost or is this my SISTER!!!!!” She jumped up and ran over to the tall black woman. I immediately recognized her though it had been a long time. Several years since their parents died and Cara left.

“Cara. Cara. You can’t go crazy. Promise me?” Emma bubbled up excitedly. Cara laughed.

“Crazy! Me? No way. You’re the crazy one,” Cara said, still holding onto the other man’s hand. I knew who that was too. That was the loner Ben from our group home at Jack’s lab. This is such a small world! I kinda hate that but like it at the same time.

India was walking toward them with a bemused expression albeit confused. “Are you Emma’s sister?” India signed.

Cara nodded, eyeing her sister in a catty way. “You a Bloodletter? I know Ben done told me about ya’ll. You’re India?”

India nodded, extending her hand for a handshake. Cara jumped in for a hug. India’s big golden eyes seemed to grow even bigger. Like a saucer. Or a growing whirlpool.

“She’s my partner Cara!” Emma shouted out impulsively, “Don’t choke her out!”

“She doesn’t breathe!” Cara laughed. India signed back, “I learned about how real breathing wasn’t just for air when I met Emma…”

“Slick. Slick, sis!” Cara chuckled. Emma laughed nervously, touching her neck.

The two sisters got tangled up in another tight embrace, chatting about this and that until Cara looked at me.

“You’re that shy little boy in our old bunker. Stan, is it?” Cara said and I nodded.

“Not shy anymore. He’s got a hottie wife!” Emma said.

“You got a wife now? I feel so old…” Cara sighed, patting her cheeks solemnly.

“Her name is Bexley. She’s a zombie…” I signed.

“And so are you? Damn, things have changed. She turned you good! I couldn’t see you so well it’s dark as hell in this weird church…” Cara sniffled. “Zombie looks good on you bro.”

“I see it as being part of a family, like my wife, and her family,” I signed and Cara nodded.

Ben waved to us awkwardly. “Hey everyone.”

We all waved back. The bloodletters, Indigo and Amory, were next to Ax. They seemed perplexed and annoyed by the intrusion. The other Bloodletters India recruited, I didn’t even know their names if they had one, and they stayed even farther away from us in the back of the room with the pews that stood against the wall.

“This is my boyfriend, Ben. I can’t believe we bumped into you all! This is such a crazy coincidence. Mama would be shaking her head, hehe!”

“How did you two meet?” India asked Cara.

Cara gave her a funny look, “Well? God be blessed, I was about to ask you the same question!”

India smiled. “I saw Emma in a battle field. She was more fiery than all the flames in the fields, or even the Sun.”

“It’s like winning the big sweepstakes, as grandad used to say to mom,” Cara said. “Grandad saw grandma in a field too. Said she was prettiest of all the wildflowers. Like he struck gold, won the lottery….” Cara said dreamily. Emma fluttered her lashes and cooed an affirmative response.

“I think your true love will always feel like you won something ineffable, magical, a true testament to life. Even in tough times or if you aren’t getting along sonetimes,” I signed to them and they nodded.

“I beg to differ,” Amory suddenly came to the group, signing to us in a matter-of-fact manner, “Love always feels crushing, painful, as a scar. Soothing only at the times when the moon is full and the sea is low-tide. But wild and fervent as a high-tide with a high climbing sun, treacherous… fearful…deadly.”

Cara gave him a strange look. “That sounds more like a living nightmare.”

Indigo runs to Amory and shoved him. “Fool, you don’t know how love is. You trick people to follow you.”

“If he found a way to trick you, then he must’ve been good, girl. You are a hard headed lil’ filly, I can tell!” Cara snapped and we all laughed. Indigo looked annoyed and scoffed.

“We all won the lottery, whatever that means…. But I think it means we’re lucky. And we’re all lucky to be here together….” India signed.

“I thought I saw a ghost when I saw you at the door with Ben! Come on over and tell us your story… don’t be so shy Ben. Did you know Bexley tried to pair me up with you before you met my sister?”Emma teased which made India and Ben perk up, their shoulders tensed and expressions shifted. Cara cracked up.

“Your friend must’ve know one of us needed this cute little white boy in our life!” Cara laughed heartily, making Ben blush.

Lotteries, like the one the Elites set up for the new Bloodletter and human settlements, really did feel “set up” to fail. Humans and Bloodletters now had an opportunity to live in some zombie territory now but it was up to how much gold they could give, if their lucky number was chosen, and if they could assimilate well with zombie neighbors. I honestly have this terrible fear that it’s a trap of some sort for the humans and ‘Letters but I hope I’m wrong.

I was thinking about luck and chance, fate and choice as we all laughed about our personal wins. Sometimes these things feel big, but when we think about how others live on the margins with nothing but their bad luck, poverty and grief, I can’t help but feel morose and ashamed for feeling so happy for myself.