But then, everything went wrong. My brother slipped on the ice. Since we were tied together, his fall pulled me down too. We tumbled over 100 meters before coming to a stop. My heart was pounding, and when I looked at my brother, I saw his leg was badly broken.

We were stranded, cold, and scared, but we managed to call for help. It took hours for the rescue team to reach us, and they brought us down the mountain safely. We didn’t reach the summit, but we made it out alive and that’s what really matters.

We were laughing and cheering when their dog came running in. Before I could react, the dog grabbed my lottery ticket from the table and swallowed it whole. We tried everything to get it back, but it was no use.

Without the ticket, I couldn’t prove I’d won. My dream of becoming a millionaire disappeared just like that. Now, every time I see that dog, I think of everything I could have had, and I want to cry a little.