Ash

I get up before my alarm goes off. Which is not like me at all. And the first thing I think about is the bag. I guess that shouldn’t be such a surprise, seeing as it’s on my mind most of the time. I go over to my wardrobe and pull it down. I open the main part of the bag and take the clothes out. A navy blue sweatshirt, some jeans and a white T-shirt. They all smell of some horrible aftershave. I look at the labels in them. The T-shirt and the sweatshirt are both large and the jeans are a 36 inch waist. Whoever they belong to is much bigger than me.

I put the clothes to one side and look at the money. I shake my head, like I still can’t quite believe that we found it. I think about the envelope full of money that I posted yesterday and I wonder where it is right now. And then, with a jolt, I think about the gun and I feel sick and nervous.

I shove the clothes back into the bag and zip it back up. And I turn the bag round, open the end pocket. I take the phone out. And without even thinking about what I’m doing, I switch it on. It takes a while to come on, but as soon as it does, it makes a noise. There’s a message. I freeze. For a second I think about switching the phone off and putting it straight back in the bag. But I know I’m not gonna do that. I’d just spend all my time wondering what was in the message.

So I open it.

What have you done with my money? I will find you.

I stare at it for ages, read it over and over again, look at when it was sent, look at the number that sent it. And I start to panic. What if whoever sent this message knows who I am? They could be waiting for me when I step out of the door.

I try to compose myself, remind myself that nobody knows this bag is here. Just me, Joe and Rabbit. And neither of them would tell anyone else about it. There’s no way that anyone can know we have the money. No way. Cos if they’d been in the woods on Friday night, they’d have taken the money for themselves. And that’s the only time the bag’s been outside. Whoever sent the message doesn’t know who has the bag, otherwise they’d have it back by now. They’re just trying to scare me.

I switch the phone off, put it in the bag and then put the bag on the wardrobe shelf. I go back to my bed and lie down, stare at the ceiling. I definitely have to talk to Joe today. I want to get the bag out of my house.