The cold December Chicago air screams into all the holes in my dirty clothes as I lay on the park bench trying to sleep. I sigh just thinking about how my life and my overall morale had gone down the drain in the last year. It was a plight. It all started when my best friend/ brother died unexpectedly. He was my best friend and I did everything with him. I already was tight on money so this was a big deal to not get paid for a week but I had to take off. All day at work I would sit there and be sad or get upset, so I asked for a week off. 5 Days later I was sitting on the couch, “ring ring ring, ring ring ring.” I look down at my phone and see an incoming call from BOSS read across the screen. I click the green button and answer.

“Hey Thomas,” he said in a low tone voice

“Hi, boss,” I say. The nervousness rushes to me as he normally never calls unless something bad has happened.

“So Thomas, I always hate making this call but I just have to say uhh well we are going to let you go. It’s nothing personal, just we are a little short on money and need to clear up some space. I’m sorry this has to happen to you but we are sorry.”

The words to this day still haunt me. “How can they fire me overtaking 5 days off because my brother died? ” I still wonder to this day. I deeply sigh of sadness as I look around. Me a short, dirty, poor man laying on a park bench with a bag of every single thing I own right next to me. Then I look up into the deep dark air and see a massive penthouse on the top of a skyscraper. “To have money like that. What could I even do to get that much money?” I think to myself. “ I mean like there's no way some crummy fast food job could ever buy that so I'm out of luck. Maybe I could buy a lottery ticket. I don't know if I should spend all my money on some dumb ticket for a 1 in 200 million chance to win some money.” I fall asleep on the cold metal park bench in thoughts of easy to get rich.

 Quack quack quack, the ducks from the pond are up and wake me up because the old lady is feeding them bread again. But I realize what I can do to get rich. And it all happened because of a dream. In my dream, I was sitting on the same park bench I was on. But instead of sleeping I walk around for some time and was faced in front of the Wells Fargo right down the street. And then it hit me. If I rob that bank, I could be rich. I could use that money to get more and more money and do everything I ever dreamed of. 

“Should I do it? There is probably so much money in there and I could be rich. But I could go to jail. But jail couldn't be much worse than this right? I minus well try.”

The whole day I scouted the area and sat there and came up with a plan to rob this bank and reach my dreams. After laying on my bench for a little while, the sunset and the cold dark air filled the air I knew it was time. I walk for about 10 minutes until I'm facing the back of the huge Wells Fargo. The second-floor cracked open window that I noticed earlier in the day is my only way into the bank. There is a little ledge on the side of the building and I think I can use that to pull myself up to the window. So I drag the trash can over right below the window and look up and sigh. “Is this really what I have become?” I think to myself. I look at the window for a second and think. Is this worth it? I could go get a job and take a few years and make money and have a family. No, I could get all this money and keep it all to myself and buy anything I want. Ok, I am ready to do it. That money is a big enough rationale for me to do this. I climb up the ledge and just barely pull myself up. I get up and pop the window screen out and climb in. “whoever left this window open is gonna have a bad day tomorrow” I think to myself. As I get in, I look around. Not wanting to mess with any of the switches, I bring my flashlight out so I can see. I know that the vault is in the basement but I just have to find a way to get to it. I open the door and leave the office. I look around for maybe a stair sign or something to help me get down there. I shine my light around and out of the corner of my eye, I see a stairwell sign and quietly rush over to it. I open the door and tiptoe down the stairs. When I reach the bottom floor I look around and see 2 big doors and heavy brick walls surrounding them. “ this must be it I think.” 

I go over to the door and push them open. As I expected, I see the huge vault in front of my eyes. I know how to hack the fingerprint system but if I mess it up one time, everything is over. The alarm will sound, which notifies the police and they could be here in seconds because they are just 2 blocks down the road. I would go to jail most likely until my life is over and everything is done. I either get to live the life I always wanted or get to end my life. I take a deep breath and get started. My sweat drips from concentration because of one wrong move and it's all over. I am almost done and that's when I hear a “BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.” Drop to the floor and sit there. I know there is no way for me to run. The loud ringing continues and tears rush down my face. “How could I be so stupid and do this? I could have done so much better things and gotten to my goal but no. I'm too lazy and now I have to pay for it.`` I hear loud running and shouting from the floor above me. The tears continue and start to blur in my eyes. I hear some shouting and look over at the doors I just walked through to get in here and see 8 policemen holding guns at my head and could kill me in a snap. They run over and powerfully put tight handcuffs on me and say “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.”