Watched

‘Remember we can see you.’

His screams clawed inside her mind, every possible worst scenario invading her thoughts. Nadya’s lungs seared as she catapulted herself through the leaves as fast as her pinstripe trousers would allow.

‘Fail and your brother dies.’

Aleks. She’d thought he was working some dangerous jobs, but she didn’t know he’d gone that far.

She shook the thoughts away and gripped her phone tighter, following the map. The cold air seeped through her suit like water from the nearby stream as she stumbled through the mud. Her heel caught on something between stray twigs and dirt but she barreled forward, yanking off her favourite shoes and throwing them away without a second glance.

She checked her watch, and her stomach plummeted into the undergrowth. She was taking too long. Who knew how much time she had?

‘Remember we can see you’.

The adrenaline finally burst into her lungs. She screamed at the trees, at the sky, at anywhere the Black Notebook could be. Because, they could be anywhere. They could be everywhere, laughing at how she was failing. The searing sensation of watching eyes hadn’t disappeared from the moment she left her house, sped down road after road, and parked in the middle of the wilderness.

Nadya jogged along the river yet again, crouching down at every tree trunk, every wilted flower, every gnarled stump. She saw the same bush with red firework leaves, and acknowledged the moss-mottled hut a few hundred metres away.

Where was it?

She ripped the black notebook open and re-read the instructions, written in neat black handwriting.

‘Your brother has failed to retrieve something important to us.

Now you must complete this task. Fail and your brother dies.

She swallowed hard.

Go to these coordinates: 37°10’27.3"N 90°55'58.6"W

Pick up the brown sack buried under the tree stump by the stream.

In the sack is your task with a lighter and another black notebook with instructions.

Do not contact anyone or your brother dies.

Remember we can see you.’

“A tree stump,” she told the stream. It whispered a watery uncertainty back.

She started running along the river bank again. Was it something more obscure? A metaphor?

Gossipy news articles flashed through her mind. ‘Black Notebook Is All That Survives Hotel Bombing’. ‘English Politician Found Stabbed To Death With Black Notebook In Hand’. ’Bank Vault Robbed Of All Except A Black Notebook.’

It was all rumours, obviously. A secret organisation that provided a convenient explanation for every unknown circumstance. Oh, and it only communicated through black notebooks. As laughable as the Illuminati.

Or she used to think that, before she found such a black notebook on her doormat that morning with a recording of her brother’s shaking voice.

Yes! Her heart soared. There was the tree stump. Charred, sharp wooden edges made out the shape of a black rectangle. She ran her hand along the dust-like surface, and her finger came away black with charcoal. Its roots clawed onto the riverbank, pleading not to fall into the water.

She bent down and dug rapidly around the trunk, watery mud congealing over her hands. The last time she’d spoken to Aleks, it was when they’d been dividing up the money from their parents’ house. She winced at the memory. She’d been knee deep in college debt, and he was… well, he wasn’t saying what he was doing. He’d joked about acting part-time, but she guessed it was something far more stressful from the way his shoulders never stopped tensing.

She checked over and under the roots, and there it was, at last - a brown pull-string sack. She cursed herself for not seeing the trunk earlier and pulled out the sack with a grunt.

She took an icy breath in, the chatter of her teeth echoing through the trees. What would they have worked so hard to conceal? A gun, or a bomb?

What would they make her do to save her brother?

She ignored the bullet-shot pumping of her heart and untied the string. The filthy hessian caught on her chipped nails as she pulled the sack open.

Inside was another black notebook the size of her hand and… she froze.

No. No way.

Was this worse than a bomb?

There were bank notes, uncountable amounts of them, all in neat bundles wrapped in freezer bags. She fished one bag out, reached for a green piece of paper and held it up to the low noon sun.

A one hundred dollar note. There was no doubt about it. It was identical to the ones she tendered at work.

And there was a whole bag full of them.

Why the hell would the Black Notebook hide thousands of dollars in the middle of nowhere? Where had they come from?

She opened the new black notebook. Once again, there was a single page filled with neat black writing.

‘There is $20,000 in this sack.’

Her stomach churned. It was uncanny. She’d hidden twenty thousand dollars from her brother all those months ago to pay for her college bills. Now here was the same amount, and his life was on the line.

‘Take the sack inside the hut nearby.

You will find a table inside the hut with a notebook on it containing further instructions.'

That was it? Take the money to a hut, not blow up an army bunker?

It finished with the same stark sentence. ‘Remember we can see you.’ She let out a harsh laugh. Like she’d forgotten.

Grabbing the sack, she sped towards the hut, fighting the sharp branches pricking her bare feet and face.

She reached the hut in seconds. It couldn’t be more than five metres square in size, the roof looking like it was held up by matchsticks.

The door festered with green ivy and moss, the wood underneath barely recognisable. Her legs shook as she pushed the door gently.

It opened with a hysterical laugh.

The space was extremely dark. She squinted, making out a rotten table, and the black notebook laid on top. She dropped the sack and snatched the book up. It felt bulkier than normal. She pulled the elastic binder off and out fell a basic Nokia phone.

The first page of the notebook held only three words.

‘Call this number.’

She brushed the number pad with her thumb. So they didn't only use notebooks after all. Her heartbeat was loud in the silence of this small building.

She was actually going to hear the voice of the mythical Black Notebook.

She punched in the number and waited for a reply, blood thundering through her ears.

A rough, familiar voice answered. “Nadya?”

“Aleks!” She exhaled with relief. “I was so worried! Are you okay? I’ve done everything they said, everything!”

“Oh, thank God.” He exhaled a sigh of relief. “I thought for a second you wouldn’t finish in time.”

“No, it’s, uh, it’s done.” Nadya swallowed. “Are you safe now? Have they stopped?”

“They said… uh…” His voice disappeared.

“Aleks?” Nadya shouted. “Aleks! Are you safe?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She heard him swallow. “They said it’s yours. The money.”

“What?” Nadya blinked.

“The twenty thousand, it’s yours,” Aleks said.

She squeezed her eyes closed. Twenty thousand dollars, all for her.

Yet it made no sense.

“I don’t… why would they do that?” She couldn’t speak. “Why… why would the Black Notebook blackmail me into the middle of nowhere to give me twenty thousand dollars?”

She could hear some muttering in the background. Aleks’ voice came back. “They said if you take it and don’t talk, they’ll let me go.”

She couldn’t believe it. Twenty thousand dollars. And her brother back. She ignored the voice of uncertainty in the back of her mind. At least if she agreed, he’d be safe.

And she’d be twenty thousand richer.

“I agree, I agree, okay? I’ll take it. Tell them I agree.”

“Okay, uh, they said, uh-“ Suddenly a burst of laughter echoed down the phone.

“Aleks?!” Nadya shouted. “Aleks, are you okay?” The laughter continued.

“Aleks!”

“I can’t anymore. This is just too good.” Aleks. Aleks was laughing. “I should really have pursued acting, don’t you think?”

Nadya let out a hesitant laugh back. He sounded happy he’d been let go, obviously, as would anyone. He was probably in shock. He was just-

“Like, you actually believed they were real. The Black Notebook. I’m a genius.”

His voice trapped Nadya’s breath in her throat. She couldn’t find the words to speak. Something felt wrong, very wrong. She stared at the jackpot in her hand.

“What do…” She shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

“I know you’re thinking about the money. It was always about the money for you, wasn’t it?”

"Wait, so... " Her mind raced to solutions. "Where is this money from? Did you rob a bank-“

“What? I’m shocked you could think such a thing of me.” His voice swayed in a carefree way, like a child on a swing. “Of course not. I got someone else to.”

Her throat clenched. Was this real? Had she seriously just driven for hours, then run through a forest in her bare feet, to save him when he wasn't even in trouble?

Nadya’s head ached with pure anger. “You lied to me!”

“Go outside, little sis.”

“What?”

“Go ahead.” She could hear him smiling, and felt sick. “Open the door.”

She could kill him. He was just confusing her, changing the subject. “Give me a real answer, Goddamnit!"

“FREEZE!” A metallic voice shouted outside, vibrating the walls of the hut.

"There's your answer." Aleks chuckled.

Her hands shook. “Aleks, what’s going on?”

“Ah, it’s a long story, you won’t get it.” He chuckled. “I just wanted to hear you get what you deserve.”

“You are surrounded.” The metallic voice repeated. Nadya felt it rumble in her chest. “Come out with your hands up.”

Nadya couldn’t process the words. She was frozen to the spot.

“But… but I’m innocent!” She shouted through the walls. “Please, I didn’t steal anything!”

“But you did.” Aleks drew out his words. “You’re a thief, little sis. You stole twenty thousand dollars.” His voice snaked down the phone. “From me.”

“Aleks!” She shouted.

“The Black Notebook thanks you for your cooperation,” he mocked. “Have fun in prison. Liar.”

His voice cut off, and the dull dial tone echoed through Nadya’s head. She put the phone down, hands shaking, staring at the black notebook on the table.

She silently raised her hands and walked outside to the police.

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Thanks for reading! Would love to hear any feedback so I can improve :)