He didn't fancy a night wasted at the market and became more depressed and cantankerous when he saw the line. A wishy-washy raccoon couldn't decide between potato chips or Cheetos. He'd ask someone to hold his place in line while he endlessly re-exchanged bags. An annoying trait in any creature, virtually intolerable for a raccoon.

A drunk skunk leaned listlessly against a bottle of Jack Daniel's he planned to purchase if he didn't pass out first--a sad, ugly story the bear didn't want to contemplate.

A pair of snakes shared a National Enquirer but were eyeing the jars of jerky on the counter. Time consuming indecision flickered from their tongues.

A water buffalo shifted uneasily on his hooves, nicotine withdrawals all too apparent.

A large family of rabbits stood cheerily with soft drinks, candy bars, and half eaten, yet to be purchased, popcycles. Sun burnt noses. Sand in the fur of their large feet. Returning home from a picnic at the beach, the bear sullenly noted.

The possum looked strangely out of place.

A baby hippo was purchasing what baby hippos buy at 7-Elevens across the country. Enough said.

A retired osprey was spending her monthly pension on overpriced cans of salmon flavored cat food. Depressing. It sent a chill through the large bear. He'd make it through next Winter, but needed a large lottery winning to cover his retirement. How pathetic his life had become.

The clerk behind the front counter was a pink flamingo. A damned, overly bubbly, short on gray matter, pink flamingo. Pink flamingos clerk convenience stores the world over, the bear knew. A pity, that.

Most annoying was the crow at the front of the line. He stood on the counter, oblivious to those behind him, discussing lottery strategy. One in twenty-one million chance of winning, the crow explained. Waste of money to buy a ticket unless the pot's over twelve million, the crow explained. State's only paying five percent interest for twenty years, the crow explained. Last payment would be worth a fraction of the first, the crow explained.

The goofy pink flamingo nodded in uncomprehending agreement.

The bear released a growl of displeasure. The crow turned and flipped him a derisive black flight feather. He returned to his rantings. At 7:59, he bought a Lotto ticket and left the store. The bear followed him to the parking lot, pulled him from his aging, classic MG, and began to squeeze the life out of him.

Police immediately pulled into the lot and were upon the bear. The flamingo stood blurting from the door. The bear was arrested for shoplifting. The crow recovered, but the bear had his Lotto ticket.