The writing prompt was to pick something from the list of words/phrases that the happiest people have in common, and then write about one of the happiest times in your or a character’s life. I chose the word – Challenge. We had 20 minutes to write.
The Challenge
I love a good challenge, whether a word puzzle, a hidden treasure, or a daring adventure. I love them all. That is why I decided to partake in the challenge that was presented online by Diputs, Inc. It only cost me $100.00, and I had to act right away. Why not? It was on the internet, and it must have been vetted before it was posted.
Here’s the deal. After using my credit card to give them the money, I was to follow a set of screens that would lead me to a winning mega lottery ticket. It specifically said that the odds of winning were .0001000000%.
Wow, I thought, a million percent, that’s more than 100%. Who could ask for better odds?
My first step in this challenge was to log onto another site and sign in. If I didn’t have an account, all I had to do was create one, which I did. They asked for my name, address, birthdate, and the first nine digits of my Social Security number. They didn’t even want me to have a password. How awesomely secure is that? I hate trying to remember passwords.
I was hesitant about entering my Social Security number, but as I started typing it in, asterisks appeared for every number I typed, so I knew it was safe and no one could read it.
Next, I was sent to another site where I was given riddles to answer, like, “What bank do you use?” “What are your parents’ names?” and stuff like that. That was not much of a challenge. I knew all of those answers. I just wondered how they would know if my answers were correct.
The final thing I had to sign digitally was a non-disclosure statement. I guess they didn’t want anyone to know about this great challenge, like some unscrupulous individuals who might use the game to trick people into giving them money.
Now it was time for the challenge.
I had to answer a math question. It was a simple one.
How much is 5 + 5 x 0 = ?
Could it get any easier than that? The answer is *Zero. Everyone knows that any number times zero is zero.
It didn’t take long for them to respond that I answered correctly and that I had won. They would be sending me the check.
I gave them my phone number and address and am still waiting for all that money. I’m a little surprised it is taking so long—it has been over three weeks.
The funny thing is that I just got my bank statement, and for some reason, the statement says that my account is closed and was zeroed out.
I guess I’ll go to the bank tomorrow and straighten this out. I know for a fact I had at least $300,000 in savings alone. Clearly, there has been a clerical error.
————
*Author’s note – 5 + 5 X 0 = 5 (look it up)
