Young widow picked up a backpack thrown from an expensive car at the landfill. «I’ll take it for my son for school!» she thought. But, opening it, she was speechless…

Fear pierced Sarah. This could be someone’s trap or dirty money. On the way home, she met her neighbor.

He, as usual, asked her. «Find anything?» called neighbor Nick, loading bags of trash. Sarah nervously shook her head.

«Just small stuff.» She didn’t want to tell anyone about the find. Not now, not later.

The less they know, the sounder they sleep. At home, locking the door with the bolt, she dumped the backpack’s contents onto the old couch.

In the dim light of the lamp, dozens of bundles of banknotes gleamed with greenish-gray colors of wealth.

Timmy, back from school, stood next to his mom, mouth agape. «Mom! Is that money?» «Real?» he whispered.

Sarah’s throat went dry, but she nodded. «Whose are they? Can we take even a little?» The child, with shining eyes, reached for one bundle. «Don’t you dare!» Sarah cried and grabbed her son’s hand.

Coming to her senses, she stroked the frightened boy’s head. «Sorry, it’s just someone else’s. Taking such is scary.

What if it’s criminal?» He was silent, gazing at the carpet of money with awe. Sarah was scared. But even scarier was deciding what to do now.

Turn it in to the police? Then, of course, they’d take it all, no money left, and maybe suspect her too. Keep it? But the owners would surely search. She remembered the expensive SUV.

What if those people return? Or maybe someone was following them? That’s why they threw it. Thoughts swirled in her head, giving no peace.

Sarah paced the tiny kitchen convulsively, fiddling with the ends of her scarf.

Tim sat next to the money, enthusiastically watching the lamp’s light play on the even bundles. «Mom, let’s hide them!» he finally suggested seriously. «What if no one claims them? Then we can buy an apartment and a bike.»

«Son, it’s very complicated!» she said quietly, kneeling next to the boy. «For such money, people can kill. If they find out we have them, better we never found them!» She stroked her son’s back, trying to figure out what to do.

It was already dark. Outside, the wind howled, the chimney hummed softly. From the next room came a crack…