Take the money and run

Cindy fans herself and rolls down the window a bit. “I’m not sure if the stress is good for the baby. Do we have to do this?”

Hamish looks out at the moonlit night and swallows his fear. He’s going to man up and take care of his girl and his baby-on-board. Cindy looks frail, like a pregnant old woman. When did this happen? They are not living the easy life.

She adjusts the seatbelt. “Honey? Couldn’t you try once more to get a job?”

He glances over. “Sweetheart. Thank you for your faith in me, but no one wants to hire an ex-con. Doesn’t seem to matter one shitty little bit that I paid my debt to society. I’m like the trash someone took out and left in the back alley.”

“Don’t talk that way. You’re a good man.” She puts her hand on her stomach which looks like it’s half her body weight at this point. “Oof. Little one.”

“He’s a kicker.“

They have come to the village on the outskirts of the city where everything’s going to go down. He parks around the corner from the convenience store. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

They put on masks, then they are out of the car, running. Hamish has the gun.

Inside, it’s storybook. He pulls the gun and demands the money. The cashier, a pimply guy about their age, hands it over in a bag. And they’re out.

Back in the car, masks off, they drive away, giddy, laughing.

They hear sirens coming. Cindy grips the seat.

Suddenly, the car coughs and slows, then comes to a stop.

“Shit! Let’s run,” Hamish says.

They run down one alley, then another. The sirens are very close.

Cindy nearly falls. “Hamish, I can’t keep going. You go. Run!”

He grips the money and runs.

This is my 301-word short story submission to @lymmick's Cliffhanger contest, part 1, with the prompt of "Dark Treasure, Full Moon." I will submit the story resolution once @lymmerik supplies the next prompt. Stay tuned....!

Pixabay image source