"Dammit."

  Kastor looked down at the lottery ticket in his hand.  All nine digits lined up perfectly.  $250,000.  This was NOT the plan at all.  The plan was to blow the $10,000 the fool had wished for in the first place.  When Kastor returned control of his body at midnight, he'd be broke.  Kastor had imagined the fool coming back , surrounded by losing lottery tickets and had laughed at the mental image.

  This was NOT that image.

  "Dammit." 

  When he returned to the underworld, he'd catch... well, you know.  He was working on a probationary basis, and "The Boss" was known to do horrific things to those who displeased him.  Kastor didn't want to be back in the fires of Hades... but in comparison, that fate would be kind.  "The Boss" was NOT kind.

  Kastor looked again.  $250,000. 

  He'd been going to gas stations all day, frittering his time away gathering tickets for his grand scheme.  Now, here he was: an hour until midnight, with a winning ticket in his hand.  Kastor began to think.  I could still make this work.  If the fool was worse off, Kastor would be able to get off the hook. 

  "Fire."  Yes, that would work!  He'd burn the damned ticket.  Yes, that was PERFECT!

  Kastor went searching for a lighter.  

====================================

  Tossing the ticket into the wastebasket, he watched it burn, ash spiraling up from the can at his feet.  He sat back, crossing his arms behind his head as he relaxed.  He began envisioning his return to Hell, successful at making his first human miserable. 

  "Easy," he sighed, closing his eyes.  He could imagine himself back home, smelling the thick smoke that permeated everything in Hell.  He smiled, slipping into dreamland as he stretched out.  

  He didn't notice the "thunk" as he kicked the wastebasket over.  

=====================================

  "You're one lucky bastard, sir," the firefighter told Kastor.  "If that neighbor hadn't called, you'd be blackened like a trout on the Fourth!"  

  Kastor shivered.  He had awakened thinking he'd gotten home, flames licking around him.  When he felt them BURN him, he woke up fast; he was supposed to ruin the fool's life, not end it.  Then water came through the window, drenching him thoroughly.  They carried him out, checked him over, gave him oxygen. 

  This could work too, Kastor mused.  The house was cinders.  Heck, this was better than his original plan.  Bravo me, Kastor grinned to himself.  He glanced at the watch on his wrist: 11:57 pm, it read.  Good.  

  "Sir, we found your insurance information!"  The fireman strolled up to Kastor, brandishing a damp leather folder.  Kastor looked at him.  "What?" he asked.  

  "Your insurance portfolio was saved!  Soggy... but otherwise fine!"  The fireman handed it to Kastor, who opened it.  Inside was a full coverage policy.  It stated that fire damage was well covered - for 2.5 million dollars.

  Kastor looked at the watch.  It read 11:59 pm.

  He looked at the policy.  2.5 million dollars.

  "Dammit."