*Winning Ticket

Intro: I just finished a science fiction book where the government restricts the population growth. I wrote this story as an idea of how a government could decide on who gets to be a parent or not. Though I hope it gets through that it isn't exactly as straightforward as it appears to be.

Camille counted the women still standing in front of her in the line. Thirty-two. Even though she had skipped her lunch break and hurried here right after works, it was still going to be close. Only fifty tickets were given out each month and even then, only five would win the lottery. If it was a good month. She'd already been standing in line for an hour.

The line crawled forward and Camille, as well as every other woman in line, kept an eye on the tickets behind the counter. She watched the woman at the front of the line press her finger against the pad for the mandatory blood test. Not everyone who made it to the front of the line would even get a ticket. The blood test was a big factor.

Camille and Peter, her husband, spent the last month compiling all the necessary information. They had tried for the past three years. When last month was another fail they hoped by adding more detailed information their chances would increase. It wasn't ever a reported fact that thorough blood tests increased the chance, but it wasn't an undeniable correlation.

Camille shuffled forward and watched a woman leave, no ticket in hand. She felt elated and then guilt overwhelmed her. Anyone winning the lottery should be cause for everyone to rejoice. But this time Camille was tired of giving congratulations. She only had a year left before Peter would be too old and they would lose the chance of ever winning.

The line moved forward.

The woman in front of her count the number of people. Thirteen.

The woman stepped out of the line, her shoulders sagging. Camille's glance flashed up to the counter. The stack of tickets looked small. Maybe half a dozen. The woman behind Camille sighed, and she too walked away. More people drifted away from the line. Camille moved one foot out of the line, her heart sinking. But, the thought of facing Peter after the weeks of long nights held her in place. The least she could do was wait it out.

The thickets diminished and the line with it. With two tickets left, Camille was still five people back. Everyone behind her walked out. One ticket left and the person before her left.

When the next woman tested her blood and the machine flashed green, the line dissolved. The woman clutched the last ticket and walked out. The door shut with a quiet click.

Camille knew she should leave but instead she walked up to the machine. The lottery personnel watcher her as she pressed her finger against the pad. The prick of her finger was nothing compared to the empty feeling in her heart. The machine took her genetic code as the map to find the information she and Peter had compiled. A green light on the machine flashed and she stared at it dully for a moment.

"I guess I'm ready for next time. If I come in extra early I should be here with plenty of time."

She nodded her thanks to the man behind the counter and walked towards the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the man called.

Camille turned around and looked at the ticket the man held up between two fingers. She couldn't seem to get her feet to move.

"Don't you want it?"

"Yes." It wasn't so much a word as it was a sob. She staggered up to the counter and took the ticket, caressing the paper with her fingers. A tear leaked from the corner of her eye.

"I wish you the best of luck. You have an hour before the results are announced. It is nice to see someone who doesn't just do this for the thrill of it. Some of these people have no right to win." He gave her a smile and leaned against the counter. "But you're different. I hope you win."

Camille didn't put the ticket in her pocket, afraid it would get lost as she hurried home. Reciting the numbers as she walked.

"21 01 42 06 15 22 09 00"

Peter had dinner waiting and they ate in the living room so they could watch the results. At promptly seven o'clock the news switched to the lottery. Camille set the paper on the coffee table so they could both see the numbers.

The first thirty-two number, four sets of eight, were bust. As the fifth set was read off, Camille squirmed in her seat, biting her hand in anticipation. As the announcer said "forty-two," Peter let out a whoop and grabbed Camille, swinger her around.

"We got it. We won!"

Camille barely listened to the announcer as he said, "For those of you who haven't won yet, there's always next month. You too, could be win the lottery for the right to have children."