Corrupted

Have you ever been forced in to a situation where you knew what was right but in choosing it you would loose an opportunity to gain something more? Something for yourself? From an early age i had been plagued with this notion of right and wrong but today is the day that I would know whether my dreams off being a person good by nature were an illusion I had built for myself. When I was younger I would play so many games where good and evil were simple choices to me, the hero fought to save everyone and the villain to destroy. It is only now that I’m an adult with a family and real responsibility that I see the shades of grey that embody our world. Now I’m faced with this decision I’m less inclined than ever before to see the heroic point of view.

Today when I was on break at work having my midday nicotine delight when some men ran down the back alley to my building. They dressed all in black, carrying big bags and seemed determined not to be notice. They certainly wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t have been down at the time. As soon as they noticed me one of the pulled a gun and aimed it directly at me but another forced the gun down then they started yelling at each other. I couldn’t make out what they were saying to each other as my heart was beating so load in my ears. Fear gripped my tight like an ant between to fingers. My mind only Brought back down to the real world by the relieving sound of sirens wailing in the distance. Then I was momentarily blinded by the flash on one of their phones. Confused and scared I made sure I paid unwavering attention to them now. The man who stopped me from being shot came very close an unzipped his bag pulling from it some money and another gun. ‘ This is going to go like this. I’m going to give you this stack of cash and you’re going to forget you ever saw us. If you suddenly start to remember anything about today my friend there is going to use that photo to find you and make sure you forget about everything, a little more permanently. Have I made myself abundantly clear?’ I couldn’t say a word but my silence only served to annoy him so he swayed his gun to my face and I suddenly just blurted out a frightened “YES!”. Relief filled his face as it ran down my leg and they quickly made a move to the car parked on the street nearby. As soon as they were gone I took out my little black book and started filling it with details on what happened, what they looked like and the car they left in. All the notes were barely legible from all the shacking but I’d still be able to read it when I needed to. I soon became exhausted by the scenario and knew I wasn’t going back to work especially with my soiled pants. Without a word to anyone I left homeward bound.

Initially I wanted to go straight to the police with all the information I had just to do the thing but after the adrenaline had left my body I just didn’t know. Curiosity even got the better of me and I just had to count the large bills. Twenty thousand dollars. It might not go far in this day and age but it was the perfect amount I needed to get out from under some crippling debts and maybe have a little left over for something nice. ‘They did threaten to find me if I said anything’ ‘What harm could me not saying something do?’ ‘I guarantee that the money was insured in the bank.’ Thoughts like these had been plaguing me ever since the barrel of the gun left my personal space

A day had passed and I couldn’t help myself starring at my little black book. Those little words stained to the pages each representing my downfall into corruption compounded by every second I did’t do something about it. It was like it taunted me to do something.I got ready leave my home with the money and the book. I didn’t want to take the car,I needed to feel every part of what I was about to do so I walked for miles until I came upon my destination. The police station was not to far from where I lived only a couple miles north, a short trip to do the right thing. That day I didn’t go north.

The end