The Call Pt2

My eyes burst open to the sound of the phone ringing. I compose myself and quickly hop to answer. 

“41.4813*N, 81.7888*W Follow the yellow stripe. Stand on the end. Hop 4 times on your left foot. Bring a toothbrush. Look to your left. Scrub off the paint. Follow Directions”

Click. In a snap, I had a mission. I wasted no time zipping around the room to dress myself. I snatch the joint off the dresser and slam my door behind me. 

The coordinates took me to the city center. I took a deep breath and looked down to notice a faint yellow line. Following it to its end, I hopped and looked left. There was some graffiti on the brick wall of the convenience store.  Wearing disbelief like armor, I scrubbed at the paint.I didn’t know they made spray paint that wasn’t waterproof. Learn something every day, eh.

‘Look to your right. Open the mailbox for a surprise. Don’t get caught.’

I’m caught off guard by my level of obedience as I scan my surroundings for witnesses. After what felt like eternity, may hand grasps a leather handle. I barely heave the bag out of the window, a 10lb sausage in a 5lb casing situation. I don’t even inspect the contents as I rush from the scene of the crime.

Is this a crime? Well, mailbox diving is definitely a crime. I mean it’s not like I took anyone’s mail…. The thoughts swirl as I hobble down the street. Making it back to the unit, I collapse in the doorway key still stuck in the door. I heave the bag onto the chair, take an embarrassingly long time to unstick my key and proceed to spend the next three hours just staring. 

It was a sleek back leather bag showing it’s loved history with every crack and crevasse. The zipper bulged and body of the bag protruded. The leather expanded in the heat of the apartment slowly spreading to accommodate contents I’d be too nervous to explore until that night. 

My hands trembled as I released the zipper’s duty. Relief sprung out of the bag in the form of stacks. Oh, thank fuck. After the third cup of tea, I was ready to count.

34,120.

It was enough to not worry but not enough to change the routine. Life still happened although I did start buying a second cup of coffee. 

Wake, Smoke, Stifle, Serve, Suspense. 

Nearly 2 months passed before the next call. Looking back on it, it was my greed that answered.