Chapter One:
Lucky and Loosey Take Off

Lucky Ducky was having a bad morning. It was wasn't bad enough that they
were having another exciting breakfast of discarded crusts of bread, but his
mother was now yelling at him for not making his bed.

"How do you expect to be a big Duck like your father if you don't make
your bed every morning?", said Mrs. Ducky.

"What are you, nuts? YOU make the bed, mom! Dad is usually passed out unti
like noon!" quacked back Lucky.

"He works very hard Lucky! It is not everyone who can put those worms in
tequlia bottles!"

Lucky had heard enough. He was going to run away. Far away. Really far
away. So far that his mother, father and eight brothers and sisters would never
see him again. But where should he go? Yuma? Not far enough. Walla Walla?
Too far. Wait! Lucky remembered watching about a million hours of poker on
ESPN from some city that looked nice. What was that city? What happens in
blah blah stays in blah blah? Then it hit him.
"I am going to LAS VEGAS!"

Lucky bolted out the door still thinking about his new destination. Lots of
lights and games. And Lucky had always been good at card games. He was the
unofficial Uno champion in Mrs. Kowalski's third grade class for three years in
a row, and he was sure that this "Texas Hold'Em" couldn't be much
different. He was ready.

He had to stop to tell his bestest friend about his upcoming journey. Off he
waddled to the condo of Loosey Goosey. He threw a pebble at her bedroom
window.

"Hey Loosey! Come to the window!" whispered Lucky as loud as he could. "I
have to tell you something very important to tell you."

"No hablo ingles!"

Lucky had gone to the wrong window.

Next window, another pebble.

"Yo Loosey! Come to the window"

After a moment, Loosey appeared. "What do you want, man?"

"I am running away. Wanna come?"

"Dude, you know that our parole officer said that we are not allowed within
200 feet of each other."

"Oh yeah" said Lucky, remembering that fateful day that they were convicted.
"But I am going to Vegas!"

"Is that where they play that poker crap that they show on ESPN like 24 hours
a day?" asked Loosey.

"Yup"

"Cool man, I am in"

They waddled their way to the bus station, which was fortunately right next
door to Loosey's house. They approached they counter. The window clerk's
name tag said "Hello. My name is Tina! Proudly serving you for 35 years". It
was a dude.

"What do you want?". Tina's voice was harsh from many years of smoking.

"Two tickets to Las Vegas please."

"You are two ducks."

"No, dude" said Loosey. "I am a goose. He is a duck"

"Ok!" hacked Tina. "You are a goose and he is a duck. You cannot ride the
bus."

"Will THIS help change your mind?" Lucky handed Tina a handful of crusts of
bread that he kept from breakfast.

"WILL IT?!? Of course! Two tickets coming right up!". Tina was obviously
excited.

Fifteen minutes later, Lucky Ducky and Loosey Goosey found themselves sipping
champagne in the two finest first class seats on a bus to Las Vegas. The
bumpiness of the road did not bother them, for they were on the first step of
what would be the greatest journey of their lives.

TO BE CONTINUED...