The Bag

It’s 7am.

Damn…I’m late for my daily walk…

I grab my keys, headphones and mask and enter out into the world, allowing the brisk air to sweep across my face.

As I get to the main road and stop, I notice something rustling in the bush up ahead. Hesitantly, I approach the bush.

“Damn!” I shriek, as a bunny runs out from the bush.

I look at the bush again and notice something black. If it weren’t for the bunny, I probably would have never seen it.

What’s that? Reluctantly, I investigate further. Is that a bag?

I immediately think, “See something, say something…” but today was different…today, I went against my gut.

I check to see if anyone is around, to see if anyone dropped their bag, but no one is in sight.

I look around the bag, inspecting the ground around it, and slowly engage the zipper.

With each click that the zipper makes, I wince, hoping that this isn’t a bomb waiting to blow me to pieces.

As the opening gets bigger, so do my eyes as I start to realize what’s inside. MONEY….and a whole lot of it.

I slowly move the bands of 20s and 50s around, making sure that this money isn’t a decoy for yes, a bomb.

I see no wires, no triggers, nothing, except…a black book.

I slowly reach inside the bag, checking over my shoulders to make sure no one is watching.

I open the book and see a series of names, phone numbers and what seems like account numbers.

Who does this belong to and how did it get out here? Did someone intentionally leave this for someone? Do I go to the police? Do I…keep…the money??

All these thoughts swirled through my head as I thought of my next move.

It doesn’t seem like anyone’s around, so I could just take it. But what if someone comes looking for it? I don’t want to get caught and get killed!

Taking another quick glance over my shoulder and around me, I realize no one is around and I take off.

I get home, frantically unlock the door, and run in, hoping no one saw me running with this bag.

As I stand there, trying to catch my breath, my fiancé comes out and looks at me puzzled. “Why are you breathing so hard and what’s in that bag??”

As I try to catch my breath, I’m able to utter the words, “Babe…there’s…money…”

“Money?” He says. “Where did you get that from? Why didn’t you call the police?!”

“It’s a lot of money babe and no one was around! What if this is our blessing?! Imagine what we could do with this money!!”

“I don’t like this, but you can’t go putting it back, now can you?”

I shake my head.

He sighs. “Let’s go over to the dining table and count it…see what all is in there.”

We dump the bag and get to counting…20,000 dollars.

Whoa.

We could do so much with this money. It may not seem like a lot, but it would change our lives. But what about the book? Who are these people and what are these other numbers?

As grateful as I am with coming across this money, I can’t help but feel guilty. Who does this belong to? Oh man, why did I take this?!

There’s no turning back now. It’s ours. No one saw me, so I think we’re in the clear.

Knock. Knock.

My heart is pounding. My fiancée and I look at each other and signal to each other to get the guns.

It could be the salt man, or it could be someone looking for that bag. Either way, we’re prepared if it goes sideways.

Knock. Knock.

Hello? This is FedEx delivery service! We need a signature!

I guess we weren’t as stealth as we would have hoped.

I was expecting a package, so I try to calm down and slowly open the door.

“Hey, sorry about that, people have been-“

Blackness.

“Ouch! Ugh…what’s...what’s…going…on?? Where am I? Why am I tied up?? Why are my eyes covered?? Babe? BABE?!”

*groan* “I’m here babe…right next to you. I told you, you shouldn’t have brought that bag home…”. His head falls into his chest.

*sniffle* “I know babe…. I’m so sorry…”

As the fabric is lifted from my eyes, I’m blinded by a bright light. “I’m definitely not home…”

Before me are two large figures, both have their entire bodies covered in military-inspired clothing.

“Why did you steal from us? Who do you work for? What do you want?”

“I don’t work for anyone! I just found the bag on my walk and took it! Please! We haven’t spent any of the money or anything. All we’ve done is count it and look inside the book! Please, let us go!”

The two look at each other and say, “She must be one of them…they told us that they would be convincing.”

“What?! What are you talking about?! Who is ‘they’?! Please, just let us go!!!”

The two figures walk to the back of the room, discussing what could only be the demise of my fiancée and me.

I frantically look around the room, searching, hoping for something that will help us escape. My hope is squashed…there is nothing.

I look over at my fiancée and see that he’s still out.

The two figures come back.

“We’ve made our decision. No one was to know about that bag and now you’ve compromised us. There’s only one thing that can be done…”

Oh God, please no…

The two figures dig into their holsters and pull out a pair of handguns.

Oh no…this is it. “Pleaseeee!! We don’t know you and we will give you everything back, just please don’t hurt us!”

The pair of them post up behind us. I feel a nudge on my head.

I look over at my fiancée and see that one of the figures has their handgun pointed at the back of my fiancée’s head.

That can only mean one thing…

“I’m so sorry babe. Please forgive me…if not now, then in the next life.”

As tears drop down my cheeks, feeling hot to the touch, I think about how this day could have gone if I didn’t take that bag home. I hear and feel the click. The trigger is being pulled back slowly, then bang!

My alarm goes off…