On a sunny day in the Poland Market, a once in a lifetime deal happened. There was a ninety percent discount on all the goods, in every stall. Usually, the store owners in the market were serious about their prices, and they rarely gave out discounts. However, the owners talked with each other and agreed to give a discount to their customers “on this occasion” because the customers had always purchased their goods. Everybody rushed and pushed each other, trying to buy as much food and electronics as they could.

Flanto, a seventeen-year-old-boy, was practically trampled over by the hoard of people barging into the stores. Flanto got up, brushed the dirt off his shirt and pants, and walked around the market to see if there was anything still left to purchase. All he wanted was to acquire a giant painting of the Mona Lisa to fill in the space above his couch, but it was sold out. Flanto felt disheartened and continued looking around to see if there was another painting.

Suddenly, Flanto saw a group of people huddling around a golden snow globe placed on a pedestal. He approached the group and asked, “Excuse me, what is this for?”.

The presenter of the snow globe jumped out of the huddle of people and shouted, “This is the cursed snow-globe. Legends say that there is a fifty-fifty chance you either aren’t affected by the snow globe’s curse and you can sell it for a fortune, or you’ll be sucked into the snow-globe, just like these gentlemen right here”.

The presenter pointed at the minuscule red and blue dots moving around in the pile of white particles. “I don’t see anything,” Flanto responded.

“I’m getting sidetracked, that doesn’t matter right now. The real question is: will you take the gamble?”, the presenter responded with a broad grin on his face.

“I don’t think i’ll participate in this–”, Flanto was interrupted mid-sentence until the presenter grabbed his hand and placed it onto the snow globe.

“Sorry kiddo, the snow globe hungers for more sacrifices,” the presenter said mischievously, as his head twisted three-hundred sixty degrees and remained intact with his neck. A large portal opened up exactly where Flanto’s hand was and sucked him into the snow globe. The group of people huddling around the globe ran away, tripping on each other, as they were scared they would be sucked in next.

Flanto fell to the ground, hurting his nose in the process. As Flanto got up, fury built up within him and he angrily shouted, “That guy! I’m going to kill him when I get out of here!” Flanto suddenly felt cold and wet as he realized he had landed on a pile of snow. He was in the middle of a snow storm and saw a large village nearby. Flanto sprang up and immediately ran to the village for warmth.