The sweltering heat of mid-June Texas bears down on you, sweat forming on your brows. You're in a small town you've never been to or heard of before, passing through to fill up your 2009 Mazda 3 with gas on your way to visit your mother several hundred miles away. As much as you felt like driving because you enjoyed it, stopping in this town made you want to take a short walk to give your cramped legs a break. You didn't expect the heat to be so unbearable at noon, usually it's hotter in the afternoon as the sun settles, but the sweat covering your body begs to differ.
Your mother normally calls on important dates and holidays for you to drive out and visit, but this time, unfortunately, was something a lot less fun. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and by the time she'd finally gone to a hospital, she realized it might actually kill her. Your mother never had much finances after your father passed away years ago from a heart attack, and the medical bills were piling up on her. She wanted you to come because she thought it might be the last time she'd see you, but your intention upon going was not just to see her, but to help her financially with the small amount of money you had saved up from working.
On your way into the town, you saw a sign for a festival in the next town over, and seemingly that's where everyone went. The town you're currently in looks deserted from the lack of people. Businesses are still open, hoping to get at least a few shoppers in an already tiny community.
Up ahead you notice a bank building, devoid of any cars except a van out front, parked on the side of the street, rather than in a parking space. That strikes you as odd, and almost instantly you become suspicious. You continue your walk, trying not to overthink it or be paranoid.
A man and a woman burst forth from the bank doors, the woman carrying a duffel bag in each hand, the man carrying a duffel bag in his left hand and a gun in his right hand. You can only tell their genders from their body shapes, as their faces are mostly covered with black masks. They scan the surrounding area, seemingly for witnesses, and spot you; pretty much the only person visible in the whole town.
Oh shit.
You freeze in place, not knowing what to do. Your instincts were right, and you should have trusted them.
The pair have already spotted you, and you see them mumble something as they stare at you. The woman nods, and the man advances towards you. You stand there, still frozen, awkwardly thinking about how much pain you'd be in if he shot you. It seems like decades before he reaches you, all kinds of scenarios running wild in your mind on how this will go down.
When he reaches you, instead of pointing the gun at you, he puts it down in the duffel bag, and picks up a smaller bag inside it, holding it out to you. The smaller bag is also completely loaded with huge stacks of $100, $50, and $20 bills.
"There's roughly $15,000 in cash in this bag. It's yours if you pretend you never seen us. You got lucky we had a good haul today, otherwise I'da shot ya, but this way there's less mess. What'll it be, kid?" He asked in a gruff voice. From the sound of his voice and his tone, you could tell he was probably at least 50 years old. You couldn't tell if he was joking about shooting you or not. You stare at the bag, filled to the brim with stacks of cash, as the sweat forming on your forehead intensifies.
What Would You Do?
