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by K. Ray
Rated: E · Chapter · Mystery · #2155587
Necessary fund withdrawl
Scene 3 revised - ATM
Stubbornly she fed her ATM card into the machine next to the Cashier's cage in the Circus Circus casino. The card had been safely stored in a separate, larger purse that hung from her left armrest. Keeping it there was her mother's idea and Madison intended to let her know it was a good one. If she ever got home, that was. The machine beeped at her menacingly, flashed a short message on-screen, and spit back her card. Subsequent attempts produced the same error--Card Declined; Insufficient Funds. "This cannot be happening!" She groaned. Not too long ago her funds were more than sufficient. "How many times did I take money out?" She wondered, alarmed.
She thought back. She'd arrived on Friday night with Taylor, planning to stay until Sunday night to celebrate her own 21st birthday. Madison had saved up for the occasion, planning on a wild shopping spree. Taylor had other plans and convinced her that Vegas was a necessary rite of passage. She also insisted Madison leave the cash at home -- this was an all-expenses paid day of fun, her treat. She'd filled Madison's wallet with her own money, saving plenty for herself, and told her to relax.
When she'd approached her mother with this plan, her mother was harder to calm down.
"What if you run out of money? What if you lose your wallet" She had asked.
"Don't worry. Taylor is bringing plenty of money. My wallet's safe on the seat, tucked away behind my back. Don't worry!"
Her mother had taken her wallet, then, and moved the Debit Card to its safe spot. "This is for emergencies only," she admonished. And what a joke that turned out to be.
She had been experiencing good luck the first night, until a bad a run at the blackjack tables. After that, she'd lost her wallet, containing her remaining profit and the weekend's spending money. Taylor split her own cash with Madison, but they both continued to lose. After the cash was spent, Madison tapped into the Debit Card, because the weekend wasn't even started. A good portion of it was spent getting brain-dead drunk, and a great portion was lost at various casino slots. She thought perhaps she could regain the loss if her luck would only turn around and she recalled going to the ATM again, but surely she didn't withdraw the entire balance of her bank account.
She thought it was probably Saturday night now, but night and day blend together in any casino if you stay long enough. There were no clocks mounted on the walls to mark the time, no windows to track the rise and set of the soon and moon. Time ceased to exist in this environment. Except, of course, for cellphones. They would bring you back to reality. Unfortunately, Taylor's phone didn't have a good camera and had confiscated Madison's to covertly take pictures--forbidden in the casino--to record her friend's first Vegas experience. They'd taken a ton of pictures together, but just after she'd lost her wallet Madison had lost her friend somewhere in the crowd of weekend optimists. She'd promised to stay at the BJ tables!

© Copyright 2018 K. Ray (writerk at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/2155587-Scene-4---ATM