“You’re the luckiest man I know.”
“Just my guardian angel.” Pete winked as he collected the cash.
It had been a running joke, but Pete more than half believed it.
He was lucky; extremely lucky.
It wasn’t just all of the good things that seemed to happen to him, it was missing the bad.
Later, celebrating with a third martini, Pete somehow tripped off of the balcony.
He’d never been seriously injured before, but there was something about that landing…
The shadow that appeared was ominous.
“You’ve had a good run of it, Petie, but time to pay the price.”
***
Word count = 100
Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © Sarah Potter. Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “linky“.
Trent's World (the Blog) 
That’s a great twist.
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Thanks, glad you enjoyed it
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It’s all about timing and I guess it was Pete’s time. Entertaining story Trent!
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Yes, it was Pete’s time. And that little contract he’d forgotten that he had signed, the one promising him the best of luck? It finally came due ;)
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He seemed to have many chances, but now it’s time for Pete. His luck ran out or the angel got tired or was off duty. Entertaining story, Trent!
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It was his time, but that “angel” was a fallen angel and it was time for Pete to pay for all of that luck… Thanks!
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Oooh, Trent, it seems that Pete’s lucks run out.
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It has run out in a big way. And if an angel gave him all of that good luck at gamboling and such, it was a fallen angel that expected its due…
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A great story, Trent.
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Thanks :)
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When its your time its your time, poor Pete.
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It was his time, and payment for that bit of contract that he signed years ago was coming due…
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Remember that time years ago when he was roaring drunk and signed that piece of paper with his own blood…
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Hey, yeah, that’s right… he said it was his lucky night and he was always going to win from then on… Hmm, I wonder if he read the fine print?
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Perhaps a dark past has finally caught up with him, or else the good life has taken its toll. A touch of envy floats through this story – me thinks.
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A dark past.. or a dark present. The source of that luck may have been something else besides an “angel”, or perhaps it was an angel, but a fallen one. Wealth, fame and all of that can be yours, at a small price. As to me, no, no envy. I have been far more blessed than most and do not want a larger slice of the pie.
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Trent, this is outstanding. Thought-provoking. I don’t believe in luck, never have. I like what Russell said about “not luck, BLESSING!” But sometimes we use up the blessing with poor, thoughtless decisions.
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Thanks! Thinking of it as a blessing keeps you grounded and humble, while “being lucky” can get you in trouble on many different levels…
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An elderly lady scolded my wife once for saying she was lucky. “There’s no such thing as luck,” she said. “Honey, you were BLESSED.” Neither of us have ever forgotten that.
As for Pete, perhaps he took his blessing for granted. And, there’s also that old saying, “Don’t push your luck.”
Great story story, Trent. Very well written.
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Yep, you need to be thankful of the blessings while people tend to think that luck is their due… Thanks.
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Payback time – all that good luck has to come at a price! Nice one Trent.
My yarn!
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Everything does come at a price, and if your luck is at gambling and other such activities, the price might be high ;) Thanks
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Moral of the story: lucky always runs out. What a great story!
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Yes, exactly. Thanks!
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Nooooo! Even the Guardian Angel has to have a vaca from time to time. Sorry his good run was at an end :(
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Well, this guardian “angel” was anything but angelic… And since his good run was at other’s expense, well, you may glad it is over ;)
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Hahahaha, I don’t know if I should be laughing but that is great!
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lol, yeah, there is a dark humor here. Thanks!
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Oops!
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A major ooops!
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Indeed 😊
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The big man with the scythe, huh? Or worse…
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Worse, much worse… Fame, wealth, health, it can all be yours… just sign right here and I’ll be back to collect later.
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A price to pay for what you do/don’t do in life… eternal retribution. Great story
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Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time, particularly if “the time” is forever ;) Thanks.
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True that.
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Everyone has to pay the price, or at least they should do – some seem to get away with an awful lot!
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Everyone does need to pay the price even if some seem to be getting away with some very bad behavior…
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Yikes! Sounds like his guardian angel has turned rogue.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Well, that “angel” was more like the exact opposite – fame, riches and health… for a while… and for a price… Sign right here, Mr. Jones…
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This made me laugh, Trent.
There’s no such thing as a free Martini.
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Nope, there is a price for everything.
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Oh dear… All good things must come to an end at some point…
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Yes they do, particularly if that “angel” is the exact opposite ;)
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Indeed… Well… He was a fallen one. 😉
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Yes, that he was, which may be like why he likes seeing his victims fall ;)
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Of course! :)
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Dear Trent,
Sounds like his guardian angel has been bound and gagged. Poor Pete. Good story, though. ;)
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Perhaps the “angel” was not really an angel but the exact opposite… A bunch of good luck until it is time to pay the bill ;)
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LOL. There was a Twilight Zone that went like that. It starred Sebastian Cabot as the “angel.”
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I don’t remember it, but very possible I saw it.
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Here’s a link to a snippet from that particular episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su1Rdw3SRHY Enjoy.
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yep, very familiar, but I was probable a kid. A small difference here is that this is pre-dying, just the standard contract – wealth, fame, etc., but when the time comes, oops ;)
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