It's been 20 minutes and my brother didn't come back. I was getting worried. With what's been going on. I decided to nap it off. I wake up an hour later to find that my brother has not come back yet. Ok, that's it. I get up doing my best to ignore the throbbing head. I take an Advil and hope it works on the way. I leave the house. I go to the square, the candles are there, but there is a note.

We have taken your brother, an amateur mistake girl. Now we have a solid bribe. I know you aren't so heartless as to abandon your brother. Bring 3 tens, and we will not hurt him, for now.

-bandit

I read it over again thinking I must have read it wrong. Nope I read it right. I am about to rip up the paper when I think better of it and decided to keep it. Never know when I might need it. But I still crumple it up into the tiniest ball I can make it. I decided to take my anger out by punching the tree. People are staring but I don't care, my little brother is KIDNAPPED people. I decided to take out my phone.

Kat: Is that how you want to play?
Bandit: I see you have seen the note, thought you were sick.

Kat: I AM! I feel like throwing up.

Bandit: ... tmi

Kat: Don't care, is he ok!?

Bandit: Yes.

Kat: call me, send me a picture, anything.

Bandit:Not until you bring the tense.

Kat: Fine. But you better not do anything.

Bandit: I don't think your in the position to negotiate

Kat: Bye!

He is not promising anything but it's all I've got.

I go back home as quickly as I can. Which, Isn't very fast because I am stumbling over cracks. I swear there must have been more cracks than yesterday.

I take my box of saved money and grab a fist of 10s.

I go back to the tree and the candles are gone, I wasn't even gone that long, 10 minutes at most. Which means they might be watching.

I throw the money in the air.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED RIGHT!?" People are staring at me again, but thinking I'm crazy. I think I saw someone grab the phone and call the police. I don't care.

I walk away. Trying to keep the tears from my eyes.

Kat: I know you were watching

Bandit: Yes, and not how I wanted you to do it. But we had a deal, I should have been more specific about how to handle it.

Kat:Give me the proof.

Bandit: Fair enough.

I wait for a minute before I get a video.

The camera is moving. So someone is holding it.

"What is going on?" My brother asks oblivious. He has a blind fold but no mouth cover, a mistake but whatever. His hands are tied behind his back and his feet are tied together. How does he not know he is kidnapped?! Then a voice that sounds like a male says

"I'm taking a video say hi to your sister"

"Hi Kat! Tell mama I'm having a sleepover! It was a surprise party!"

"That's right. It's a surprise sleepover party" Say the voice, the thing is, it sounds familiar. But I can't place it.

"Now, say goodbye."

"Bye bye!" He says, Then the video ends.

Kat:I can't tell if your smart or if he is just really dumb.

Bandit: Probably both.

Kat: don't hurt him

Kat: please

Bandit: only if you do what we say

Kat: fine

I save the video and watch it over and over. The ground is wood, everything else is dark. I have the nagging feeling that the voice is from someone I know. I get home and try to figure out a game plan for this situation.