Monday, January 08, 2007

Entry #23

The Satchel
by Bryan D. Catherman


It had been five months since the satchel containing strange items had been left in my restaurant. Among them is an unsigned winning lottery ticket, the very thing causing me such grief.

The other items are a copy of the local paper, dated November 3, 1991; two spent rifle cartridges I assume to be 7.62mm; Potok's novel, My Name is Asher Lev in paperback with page 243 dog-eared, which is no rightful place to pause; two spoons; a map of Cypress; a peculiar but rather dull photo of the end of a building wall; and of course, a winning lottery ticket from this very city.

Although my restaurant isn't kosher, I'm a God-fearing man. Surely, I couldn't have claimed the ticket so soon after my discovery of the satchel, but now it has been five months and the ticket expires in exactly one week.

I have analyzed every clue and come up empty. I posted the photograph on my menu board between the soups and fresh breads inquiring of my patrons if they recognized the building. None did. The picture is my last clue but it yields no answers. If it were of a face maybe, but it's not. It's only of a depressed wall of no consequence. Why would anybody photograph it?

So it's decided; I will claim this ticket. But so as not to bar my entry into the Eternal Kingdom, I will forever seek the rightful owner of this ticket and return to him this unnerving photograph.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very mysterious. I like it.

Jaye Wells said...

"Potok's novel, My Name is Asher Lev in paperback with page 243 dog-eared, which is no rightful place to pause"

I love this line and your use of details in general. Nice job.

Jeff said...

I agree with Jaye in your use of details. Good job!
By the way, I have read almost everything written by Chaim Potok and really liked it.

s.w. vaughn said...

I feel for this guy. I've been known to bring cash left in an ATM to the register in the hopes they'll find whoever owns it.

Of course, I doubt they do. But I feel better for not taking it *sigh* And I third the kudos on the details!

Anonymous said...

ditto on the details, especially liked the line about that being a bad place to pause in the book. Nice work.

BD

Anonymous said...

Whats the problem? Furnace for the kit - take the cash and run!

(Just noticed that the letters at the end of this post a comment form the word xpjthief - does this mean they ARE watching???)

Anonymous said...

I like the way that the photograph becomes a detail in the story, rather than the sole focus. Very good take.

Anonymous said...

Great detail, yes. And a very strong voice.

Anonymous said...

Nice way to work in the story prompt. really indirect.

Anonymous said...

The voice was well matched to the piece. Methodical and calm. The character comes through the words.

High marks overall.