For a town as superstitious as Cornhill, it was a surprisingly large one which was blessed with modern infrastructures. In addition to the beautifully tarred roads embellished with the right traffic facilities and signs, it had its own airport and metro station. But the most fascinating thing about Cornhill was the town's only bank. One would expect that any bank should be well guarded, most especially a bank that held the money and valuables of the entire town. However, that was not the case with Cornhill Community Bank.
The community bank had no security guards, no mantrap doors, and not even a vault to keep cash and other valuables safe from burglars. The bank's only personnel was a couple in their late fifties, Dan and Eleanor Sanders. What was more amazing about it all was that there had been no record of bank robbery in the history of the bank.
Security, as the people of Cornhill believed, was a gift of providence and they had it in abundance. As such there was no need for the police or elaborate security systems.
"No such town exists. If it does, then it must be inhabited by the most foolish people on earth," Benny would say to Kramer whenever the old man began to talk about the town.
Kramer and Benny Stones had been business partners for two decades. The two had met at a house which Benny had broken into for one of his Sunday morning heists. Kramer himself robbed people's homes for a living. On that Sunday, he had been in that house for no other reason. With his loots in his bag, he was about to make his clean getaway when the breaking sound of a window pane startled him. He hadn't done a very good job at hiding, and as a result, Benny spotted him easily. It was a classic thief meets thief situation. Right there, the two made the decision to join forces and see what their combined talents could get them.
Benny always doubted Kramer's stories about Cornhill, but the old man's unending assurance had finally put them both on the road in search for this El Dorado of a town. After days of driving and asking for directions, they finally arrived in Cornhill on a Sunday morning. Indeed, the town was real. That same morning, they decided to do a precautionary sweep of the bank's environment so as to be sure about its lack of security. That was also real! They agreed to carry out the robbery that evening so they could be out of the town before the next morning. Then they went on a sightseeing of the town to while away time.
Evening did come early, and by 8pm, the two men were at the bank again. Without the presence of a security guard, breaking the padlock to the door of the bank gave them no problem at all. Entering into the bank's basement, they were glad to find the safe deposit boxes unlocked. After about an hour of stashing their bags with cash and all sorts of jewelries to their hearts' content, they decided it was time to leave. As they got out of the basement into the banking hall, they were met with a sight they had not been expecting. The banking hall had become covered in mirrors. The walls, ceiling and floor were literally mirrors. As the two men looked around in shock, they also noticed their own reflections in the mirrors coming towards them, smiling sinisterly.
This is my entry for the Inkwell community weekly prompt.
Thanks for reading.