JOSEPH WASHBURN - THE BAG

Joseph Washburn is 34 and Currently living in Gadsden, Al.  with wife and four kids. He is currently attending Full Sail University for his bachelors in creative writing.

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THE BAG

​Smoke dimmed the light in the little room. A blue stripped fedora sat discarded on the floor beside a leather bag. Sam and Victoria sat huddled over a table. Beer and snubbed cigarettes littered the surface, marring the brown finish.
"Oh my God, how in the world could this have happened?" Victoria said as she rubbed her eyes eyeliner and makeup dripping down her wet face.
Sam slumped as his bald head fell into his hands. “Vicky, I am getting too old for this. I could go for a line. It’ll be the last one I get.”
"Is that all you can about? After what we did.”
“What we did. Last time I checked this mess is your fault. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Sam said.
“How can you be so full of shit?”
“Hey, watch your mouth.”
“Look your just as much to blame,” said Victoria.
Sam leaned back as he pressed a fresh cigarette to his lips and struck a match. The cigarette glowed before he exhaled a puff of smoke into the room.
“I say we toss the bag and run,” Victoria said.
“Toss it, and what about when the police find the bag and see what’s inside?”
"It's better than other people finding out what’s in it," Victory said as she reached down and picked up the leather bag. The bottom sagged low as she cleared a space on the table and dropped the bag between them.
“Damn Vicky, get that thing away from me.”
"I hoped that seeing it might help us decide on what to do."
"Do you want to see what’s inside that bag again?"
Bang, Bang, Bang.
“Sammy boy we need to talk.”
“Oh shit,” said Sam as he pushed his chair back and jumped up on feet.
"How did they find us, Sam?"
“Sammy boy we can do this the easy way or the hard way your choice.”
"Sam, what are we going to do?"
Sam dropped his cigarette. A small hole burned into the carpet as he walked to the window and peeked between the plastic blinds.
“Sam, did you hear me?” said Victoria.
"Shut up bitch, I'm thinking. Ok, I can see three cars and three people. Damn, with their headlights I can't make out much…"
"Sammy boy last chance to come out."
“Sam!” said Victoria.
“Victoria, get into the bathroom close the door and lay down in the tub.”
Victoria sat there a few more seconds before she leaped to her feet and grabbed the bag. "No leave the bag," Said Sam as he pulled a silver pistol from his chest rig. Victoria stared at him then turned on her heels and disappeared through the bathroom door.
Sam positioned a chair facing the door before he fell into it. He sat the pistol on the table beside the bag and grabbed a bottle of amber liquid swishing it around before pouring it into a glass. "Guess this is it." Sam downed the shot and grabbed his pistol placing it under his neck
"Ok, Sammy boy guess you want it the hard way. All right, boys let him have it."
Sam pulled the trigger.
Gunshots rang through the room bursting through the door and window. Wood splintered, glass shattered, and the muffled screams of Victoria echoed through the room. Sam jerked as blood and brain matter splattered the floor and table as the onslaught drew to a close.
“Sammy boy you dead?”
Sam slumped forward onto the table his lifeless eyes stared up at the bag little rivulets of blood leaked out.
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