The richest thing on earth!

He was tired of cleaning up after people. His job sickened him more every day. Casino housekeeper..blah..He cleaned up champagne smelling vomit, cocaine sprinkled blood, even a diamond -encrusted stiletto heel from ...one of those. Women...He'd wanted to be a blackjack dealer; he practiced every day. He said hi to the casino bosses, he even wore a bow tie with his housekeeping coveralls. He'd come to Las Vegas with stars in his eyes.". I am gonnna be rich, someday. I can feel it!". He had his good luck charm, a new poker chip that he found on the floor when he was mopping up vomit. He cleaned it off and it looked pretty good! Like it was winking at him. He stopped sweeping and took it out. He smiled at it, gave it a quick little kiss. As he was cleaning it off again, somebody bumped into him. He felt like no one ever saw the guy in the housekeeping coveralls. This hasty person was in such a hurry, they tipped over the water in his bucket.."Hey !" he said.."Watch it!" He walked over to his cart and picked out some towels and started drying the floor where the water spilled. His mind drifted into the cocaine, champagne world of money, money, money. He put his hand back in his pocket to return the poker chip.... hey...hey! he stated to feel all around the coveralls.."it's gone!! My lucky chip!! " He looked everywhere but couldn't find it. His luck was running out. He went over to the corner of the hallway and slipped onto the floor, one big unlucky heap. He closed his eyes..felt comfort in the darkness and silence.

"Hey, buddy." His eyes remained closed.."Hey! Guy! You! Down there! " The Stranger kicked his foot a little. He looked up.."What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" The Stranger wore a blackjack dealers' suit; black dress shoes and a bow tie. The stranger said "You lose something? What's a matter?"

Janitor stood up, "Nothing. I was just..it's stupid, forget it."

"Hey, buddy nothings stupid. Tell me"

Janitor stared at the stranger;" O kay.. I was just looking for my lucky chip, that's all. It was going to make me rich. But I can't seem to find it."

"Buddy, that's it? Why didn't you say so earlier? It's an easy fix..."

Janitor blinked.."What do you mean?"

"That chip's not lucky. But this is." He held out a coin. The most beautiful shiny quarter Janitor ever saw. "You want it?"

Janitor reached out for it, then pulled his hand backwards "What do I have to do for it?"

"Nothing, man, just make three wishes and hold the coin"

Janitor was doubtful but he felt his luck running dry every minute, so he took the coin, closed his eyes and said, "I wish for cocaine, champagne and to be the richest thing in the world!" He opened his eyes; the stranger was gone but so were his bucket and mop. His coveralls were replaced by an expensive suit. He felt someone nibbling on his neck, "Hey baby, let's go up to the party." she whispered. Janitor took a deep breath and smiled. He just got lucky. She grabbed his arm and they walked to the driveway, the attendant brought over the convertible."Ohhh baby," she crooned.

They drove, oblivious to the speed limit.. When they reached their destination, the car stopped. She got out, legs a mile long. She was wearing diamond heeled stilettos. He looked good with her on his arm.

As they walked in, everybody said "Hey guy! Glad you could join us!" The waiter brought a tray of champagne, he grabbed a glass. To his surprise, another waiter passed around a tray full of bags of cocaine. Stiletto grabbed the champagne and the packet and walked over to the wide couch and made herself comfortable. He smiled and joined her...ohhh, the champagne bubbles tickled! He snorted a line. ohhh, the smoothness. He leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. The noise was deafening; people talking and laughing, a cacophony of sounds and squeals ...then suddenly, silence.

He opened his eyes.."Hey buddy. What'd you think?" asked the Stranger.

"Uhh,I..well, I enjoyed the champagne and the line. And the babe? Where'd she come from? wow!"

"Come with me, it's time for your third wish."

"Already? I wasn't finished enjoying the first two."

"Look, buddy, I can give you the wishes, but I can't give you more time. Your luck is running out so what do you want to do? Stay here or go for your third wish?"

Janitor thought. "I don't know, can I flip that coin?"

"Okay buddy, heads you stay, Tails, you get the third wish." Stranger flipped the coin "Tails, buddy. We got to go now." He started to leave.

"Okay, I'm right behind you." said Janitor. They stopped in front of a slot machine; "here it is." said Stranger.

"A slot machine? I hear these every day. I have to clean them. Do you know how disgusting these machines get? And they're all rigged anyway..."

"Righto, buddy, I hear ya..but this is your wish! Didn't you want to be rich?"

"Yeah..."

"Then maybe this particular machine is rigged, the right way." Stranger handed him the coin, "Care to try?"

Janitor put the coin in the slot. The pictures went round and round, the machine was clanking, and the bell was ringing. Suddenly, the red light went off and the alarm went on.."We have a winner!" Said the attendant. "You are our biggest winner ever! You've won one million dollars!" Everyone started clapping, the photographers were taking his picture, the owner stepped up to congratulate him. Janitor couldn't believe it. He turned and told Stranger "Thank you! I can't believe it! I won! My wish came true!"

Stranger looked at him and said "You don't think that's it, do you? This machine will give you all the money in the world. Just keep playing."

Stranger faded away, again. Janitor smiled, touched the good luck quarter he tucked into his pocket and slipped another quarter in the slot. Again, it happened again! He won! He kept playing and kept on winning. He drank champagne, Stiletto stood by his side, whispering in his ear "Go for it baby. Go for it." The lights got brighter, the noises got louder, the alarms never seemed to stop. Janitor was winning over and over again. For three days straight, he played. For three days straight, he kept winning. Time seemed to have gone, it was just him, the slot machine and his shiny quarter. He was standing in his money; it was piled up to his knees. He took another sip of champagne, looked at Stiletto and said "Okay, baby, here we go again." He laughed as if he were possessed. The crowd grew, the noises got louder. Suddenly, silence. He was about to put the quarter in the slot when he looked around..Stiletto was gone. The crowds were gone. The money. Was gone. He could hear Stranger's voice; "I can grant you the wishes, but I can't grant you time.". .no, no no, not now". He begged and pleaded with the slot machine.."please, please... I need this! Please! I beg you." He started crying, the tears of a desperate man.."Here, here, Use my good luck coin! ". he blew on it and very carefully, inserted it into the machine. The pictures went around and around. The sounds of the bells got louder. He smiled. The money was coming back! He could taste it!

Oh, something was sticking to his tongue. The money! a hundred-dollar bill? Why was it sticking to his tongue? Suddenly, he was choking, more money was in his mouth. It was suffocating him! No! He tried to spit it out, but it wouldn't move. He tried to take it out of his mouth but his hands.... his HANDS!!! he couldn't move them.

The noise was deafening, the lights were blinding! He couldn't see; Stiletto was gone, the champagne was gone but the noise and the brightness! It was unbearable. The pain! He'd never felt such awful pain in his life! He tried to scream but he couldn't! He was being crushed. He felt his ribs pop. Monstrous! He felt his hips break, surreal! He couldn't move his head. He felt it being placed in a vice! No! Monstrous! Disbelief! Unreal! He was no longer surrounded in money; he was the money...no! not that! Monstrous! In his last moment of clarity, he realized. He wasn't the money; the slot machine was slowly absorbing him. Each blink of the lights, each clank of the bell, he felt himself disappearing into the money machine. He could no longer move, his brain could no longer hold onto reality but in his last moment of clarity: he saw Stranger..sipping champagne, snorting cocaine, Stiletto on his arm. They were laughing.

He suddenly saw where the money was stored in the machine. In him. The machine no longer gave money. Everyone was complaining about it. The owner had no choice. He had to replace the broken machine.

2 months later, as he lay in storage, his eyes could no longer focus on anything but the money that he could no longer reach. Monstrous. The pain never went away, the noises were deafening and never stopped, the lights burning into his eyes.

Just before he faded into darkness, he realized he'd gotten his three wishes: he drank champagne; he snorted cocaine and he became the richest thing on Earth.