I work as a taxi driver in England. I don’t work in a major city, but it is a reasonably large town. We get a lot of students so weekends between 1am-3am are the best times. I wouldn’t say I’m exactly strapped for cash, but that might just be that I’m afraid to admit it. I have just about enough to get by from driving taxis, although business is undoubtedly on a decline, and last month I was seriously considering getting a second job on top of this. That was before the events that I’m about to tell you about.
I’ve picked up some shady characters in my time. I’ve been driving taxis for about 6 years now, I’ve always worked for the same small local company - I was their fourth employee. But in my time here, there’s definitely been a handful of drives I’ll never forget. One of these, and the one this story starts at, was last month when a woman got into the car and told me to “just drive”. It was bright out, and at first, I thought maybe she was being followed by some creep.
She was carrying 2 large black duffle bags, each with 3 large ASCII smiley faces in a white font. Just “:) :) :)”. This has given me a bad image of this symbol, I can’t see it online or in a text without freezing up for a brief moment. I never got the woman’s name, but she had shoulder-length red hair and looked to be in her early 20s. I kept asking the woman where she wants me to go and if she was in danger. But she just kept saying “just drive”, and so I kept just driving. This went on for about 10 minutes, and I had driven to just about the other side of town.
“This is fine, pull over.”
Finally, she said something else.
As I pulled over, before the taxi had even come to a complete stop, she had opened the door and was climbing out. I yelled at her about the price, but it was no use - She was off and I didn’t want to cause a scene by chasing her. Besides, she was clearly already scared of someone or something when she got into my taxi; I didn’t want to frighten her more.
I had gotten back to the town centre when I realised she had left one of the 2 duffle bags in the footwell in the back. It wasn’t the bag or even the large white smiles that caught my attention, but the money that I spotted through the slightly unzipped opening. Looking back, I like to believe it was my intention at this point to turn around and hope the woman was nearby the drop-off spot. But truthfully, I think I had made up my mind about what I was going to do before I even unzipped the bag.
Of course, once I did unzip it further, my decision was sealed regardless of my original morals. It was more money than I had ever seen in my life. Telling you this now, I can tell you it was exactly £1,000,000… But at the time, all I knew is that this money was enough to solve any issue I had in my life.
It probably goes without saying, but I did consider the legality of this. I knew I could not be caught with this money. Not only did I steal it from someone, but they probably didn’t obtain this money legally either. Who walks around with this much cash? And she probably had more in that other bag that she took with her. I did also consider that maybe this was intentional - Maybe I had just been used as her getaway vehicle. It would almost make sense: the scared look on her face, the leaving half of the money with me as a large “thank you”. But then I consider the fact that she had no idea who I was - She couldn’t trust me. I had seen her face, and this money in the bag was proof, evidence, that a crime had been committed. And unfortunately, if you’re looking for an answer as to why she left this money or how she got it, you’ll find exactly what I found - Nothing.
I waited 1 week before spending a penny. I kept it under my bed; I checked it every day. Whenever I looked at the bag, I felt an almost haunting presence. I can’t quite describe it, maybe it was guilt. All I know is that every time I took the bag out from its hiding place, I’d find myself just staring at the print on the side. “Smile, smile, smile.”
During this week, I did a lot of research to make sure I knew I wouldn’t be caught with this money. The woman who got the ride was clearly in too much of a rush to remember both bags, there’s no chance she took note of the company or license plate on my taxi. The odds of her tracking me down? Minimal. She didn’t even look at me the whole journey. But she wasn’t the only factor - Someone was going to be looking for this money. This belonged to someone, somewhere.
I looked online and kept tabs on local news. The most that I saw was a robbery that had been attempted at a small corner shop, far out from where I picked this woman up. It was unsuccessful, all 3 robbers were caught (they were all students), and the odds of this small place having £1,000,000 was practically 0. I also emptied the duffle bag once or twice looking for trackers or a mobile phone, but there was nothing. This is also when I counted the money for the first time - Exactly 20,000 £50 notes.
After a week, I bought something basic, as a kind of test to make sure the notes weren’t marked or anything. I don’t know enough about how this stuff works, I’ve only ever seen it in movies, I just know criminals demanding money in movies usually ask for “unmarked bills”. So, I was checking that, I suppose. I bought a new dining set and a toaster. I went for ones that weren’t super cheap, but nothing too fancy. Just enough where I could pay with £50 notes without it seeming strange - It came to £97.98.
The cashier took the box, and my heart was pounding. As he scanned it, my heartbeat still felt louder than the beep of the checkout. I almost felt like everyone could see my body wobbling with each beat, but I knew this was probably in my head.
“Do you have a loyalty card with us?”
I gave him the 2 £50s. I didn’t even register what he had said until he had taken it from me. “Shit”, I thought.
He leans into the microphone built into the desk, “Colleague to checkout 3, please, colleague to checkout 3.”
The pounding in my chest became a fast, racing beat. From slow, hard-hitting drums, to fast, unrhythmic tapping.
“I’m sorry, is there a problem?”
“Yes, the dining set box is damaged. I’m just going to get a new one for you in case anything inside is broken.”
I thought I was going to pass out from relief. The sudden change in emotion felt like it had given me whiplash. He handed me my change, and as soon as a new dining set box was handed to me, I left the store. I got into my car and quietly celebrated. It was a success! I had done it! And I hadn’t gotten caught! It was a rush of excitement as I realised that this £1,000,000 truly was mine now.
I immediately went too far and started looking for a new car. Currently, I used the taxi as my personal vehicle. My boss was kind and let me do that until I got my own. He told me that 6 years ago, and we haven’t spoken about it since, I feel like he probably just found it too awkward to bring it back up once it had been too long.
I found one in a local car dealership, and I checked on the website to make sure they take cash. They did. So I got home, took the boxes out of the taxi, and set them down in the kitchen. I plugged my toaster in and got the dining set out of the box. I was going to bring it to the sink to wash, as I always assume new cutlery is automatically dirty. But I immediately tripped - Every single plate and bowl smashed, and I hit the floor just after them. I was mostly okay, by my left palm was pretty badly cut up. There was blood all over where my hand had landed on the floor, but it probably looked worse than it was.
I cleaned up the blood, and wrapped a bandage around my left hand. I still let my fingers poke out so I could clearly still drive, I didn’t want to risk the car not being sold to me over a silly accident. I left the smashed pieces on the kitchen floor as I rushed out the door. It was 7pm, and already getting dark. I wanted to get this car before the place closed.
It was only a 15-minute walk from my place. I wasn’t planning to get a particularly exciting car - I knew that £1,000,000 was only a lot if you let it last. I wasn’t going to go crazy and spend a quarter of it on a car. I found one for £11,300 that was nice enough for me. Silver, convertible roof, second-hand. The walk there was fairly quiet, as I live on the edge of town. Not many people are driving or walking through these parts, the roads are mostly empty at the busiest of times. There’s not even an exit into the next village over, so there’s no reason to pass through here.
The deal itself went through clean and fast. They were closing soon after I got there so they were in a rush to get me out anyway. Before long I was driving it back home. The roads were just as quiet as my walk there. I only saw 1 other car on my drive, right behind me. It was matte blue, and seemed to be someone who lived near me, as they were taking every turn I took. As I slowed down ever-so-slightly at the final turn for my place, BANG. The only other car on the road crashes straight into me.
We both get out of our vehicles. The person with their car up the rear of mine was a bald man, and the most apologetic guy I’ve ever met. Which I guess makes sense given this was entirely his fault. He said “sorry” so much I actually cannot remember how many times he said it. But I did not want any kind of investigation into what happened, or how I could suddenly afford a car on my wage. I convinced the man it was my fault, and not to contact his insurance. I gave him £7,000 and told him to just get his car repaired with that money. After a lot of convincing, he agreed, before apologizing even more.
My car wasn’t totalled, it wasn’t even that bad for how hard the impact felt. The rear was a little caved in… But it still worked, and I drove the final 20 seconds home safely.
Getting into my place, it was pitch black. I thought this was strange as I don’t remember turning any lights off, but I instinctively reached for the switch and flipped it…and, nothing. Still pitch black. At this point, I got a flashlight and went to check the fuse box. Sure enough, a switch had been tripped. After 5 minutes of unplugging various things, I walked into the kitchen, forgetting about the smashed porcelain from earlier. The cuts on my feet weren’t as bad as my left hand, but it still hurt and made me jump when I wasn’t expecting it. Then my eyes fixed on the toaster, and I realised what was probably going on. I was right - After unplugging it, I could flip the switch back in the fuse box and the power came back! I guess I was sold a faulty toaster.
I checked my fridge and had pretty much no food, so I decided I deserved a treat after a stressful day. I got the duffle bag and sat with it at the dinner table, and then ordered a pizza. I decided I was going to be nice and give a handsome tip of £50 to the delivery person. This was probably a symptom of having a guilty conscience; As excited as I was about this money, I couldn’t help but keep thinking back to how I acquired it. After about half an hour, there was a knock at the door, and the pizza was here. I had a small conversation with the delivery guy - He was wearing a high-viz jacket, so most likely had to bike here, but it’s only a few streets down so that’s what I’d expect. The jacket actually looked pretty cool - It had a reflective version of the pizza place’s logo. He said it was his last delivery and then he’s home for the weekend. I gave my tip, which he greatly appreciated, and for a brief second, I felt like a good person.
I sat down to eat. I had gotten the Meat & Veggie Feast, my favourite pizza from a local delivery place. It had ham, pieces of meatball, chicken, pepper, and sweetcorn. Usually, when I order this, it’s a happy moment. It’s a treat for myself or a celebration of something. On this day, though, the unforgettable memory is the pizza itself. Despite everything that had happened that day, the pizza is what made this day terrible.
I got not even a few bites in when I started choking. Not just a small choke, where you feel awkward if you do it around people. I mean properly choking. For a solid 30 seconds, I could not breathe at all, yet it felt like minutes. I have never felt so terrified in my life because I truly thought it was the end of my life. The whole time, the bag felt like it was staring at me with 3 faces. “Smile, smile, smile.”
Once I stopped choking, I burst into tears. I cannot capture how I felt at this moment - I was scared. I went to bed without eating any more pizza.
That night, I had a dream that was so vivid and realistic. I’ve never experienced something that felt so real, not even in reality itself. In the dream, I was using my new toaster, when it sparked and set fire to the cardboard box on the floor, the one it had arrived in. I unplugged the toaster as fast as I could and threw it away from the fire. It landed on its side, and on the bottom was an ID number for the product - 13775. This number had no significance to me, but I remember vividly reading it.
At this point, I felt a burning sensation behind me. I turned around and the fire was growing more and more. Just standing near it was burning me. I woke up with a jolt, and with no hesitation, ran to where I had left the toaster. I look at the bottom.
13775.
I know in my heart that this dream is showing me what should have happened. This toaster tripping the switch was actually the best possible scenario - The alternative would have ended up being this.
At this point, I realised something. Something that made my heart sink. Every bad thing that had happened to me these past few days had been from possessions I had purchased with the money I stole. The cut hand, the faulty toaster, the car crash, the pizza. All of it was directly caused by this money. I know it sounds paranoid, but I could not shake the feeling that it had to be what was happening. I don’t know why it’s happening, but I just know it to be true. Maybe the money is cursed, or maybe this is punishment for me taking it. Whatever it was, I knew it couldn’t be mine.
My immediate thought was to donate it all to charity. Anonymously, of course, I didn’t want any questions being asked. But that was when I turned on the TV and saw that one of the main roads in town is closed for the morning. They were talking about a car crash and that traffic would be bad for the next few hours. The picture being shown was of a matte blue car, crashed into a river that runs alongside the road. They didn’t show who was in the car, but they said that 2 people were killed. The driver, and someone walking by - Apparently their clothes were too dark for the car to see them, as the news presenter used this time to warn people of how important it is to wear visible clothing at night.
I turned off the TV. I felt sick. I don’t think I need to explain what happened, I don’t know if I even have the stomach to type it. But I knew at this moment that this money didn’t exclusively harm me, but anyone. I could not in good conscience give this to a charity.
My next thought was to gamble it all away. I have no proof, but I believe that the money only continues its curse if given away to someone, because then it still has a curse to carry out. If I buy something with it, and someone else ends up getting that money in the future, it has already carried out the curse on me through the object I purchased with it. It just made sense to me.
I took £1000 with me to a casino. I used my taxi to drive there. The first thing I did was the roulette wheel, I bet all of my money on Black 13. Bad luck number, best possible chance to lose. They spin the wheel, and the ball goes round and round, making a clack sound as it hits each bump in the wheel. Eventually, the ball came to a stop, on a black tile. I couldn’t see what number exactly, but as you might have guessed, as the wheel itself slowed down, it was clearly on 13.
This trend continued all night. I played Blackjack - A game I’d never played before, I just went with the flow - and won. I played on the slot machines and got the jackpot on my first go. They were live-streaming horse races and taking bets, and of course, my horse would win every time. I went into this place with £1000 and came out with £20,561. I had done the exact opposite of what I was trying to achieve. In fact, this bought my total money overall to over £1,000,000.
I gave up. I went home before the casino thought I was cheating - If that’s even possible. I felt stuck. I had more money than I ever thought I would have in my life, and I wanted nothing more than to get rid of it.
Last night, I did what had to be done. I took the duffle bag and drove to a lake on the other side of town. I actually had to follow the river that the matte blue car had crashed into to get there - It comes out into that same lake. The whole drive there I felt sombre. I was really getting rid of this money. In a way it made everything that had happened in the past couple of weeks seem worthless - I was just going to go back to how I was before all of this, and then what? All that harm was for nothing? Not a single thing is different, besides the downsides. But it was the only thing I could do.
I pulled up in the car park for the lake. Unsurprisingly it was empty. Nobody wants to be at a lake when it’s dark, not if you want to feel safe. Ironically, though, I was here for that very reason - To make myself feel safe again.
I took another look at the duffle bag as I approached the edge of the lake. “Smile, smile, smile,” why were these 3 faces on the front of the bag? Why do I even care? The lake water on this side of the lake came up slightly onto the grass pavement, like where the ocean meets the beach. the tips of my shoes were in shallow water, whilst the heels were dry. Just then, I felt something bump my shoe.
It was a wad of cash. The exact same wad of cash I had given to the man who crashed into me. It had made its way down the river, and to me.
As I bent down to pick it up, I also noticed another £50 was alongside it. This had not come from this same wad, it was separate - A total of £7,050. I’m still not sure where this came from. But I put it all into the duffle bag, zipped it up, and placed it on the floor. With a kick of my feet, it rolled into the lake, and I watched it sink.
I drove back home, and last night, I had the best night’s sleep I’d had for a while. I didn’t dream anything - It was just peaceful. It was bliss. It was a much-needed sleep.
But now, I don’t know what to do. Because this morning, I woke up, and felt that the bed was damp. I noticed that my hand was touching something wet. Disgusted, I pulled the covers off of me. The duffle bag was there, on my mattress, soaking wet.
I looked at the faces on the front, and noticed something different.
“Smile, smile, frown.”