A few weeks ago – days, maybe – we warned you about strangers – total strangers – that can suddenly enter your store. There has been a significant lack of response to our concern, which can only mean one thing: shopkeepers are taking the danger seriously enough to keep silent about it. This obviously is the safe route. Yet we cannot be altogether silent any longer. There have been new developments.
Last tuesday at 2PM a tall man entered my shop as if searching for something. “That’s nothing”, you think, and continue the thought with: “Many people search for things.” You would be correct if not for the fact that this man obviously was yet another stranger to humanity.
He looked all human and acted like one, too. Only, how had he guessed I would be alone in my shop at exactly that time? This is something that is not easily explained away. You can try but I doubt you will succeed. “He has followed your workers’ schedules” seems to be the first thing to come up. If only it were that easy! It was the only time this year that I was alone!
The man did nothing out of the ordinary, which obviously scared me almost witless. A regular robber or someone with a similarly sinister agenda would have tried something on the spot. It happens all the time. This character, however, cheekily browsed the wares and went out without buying anything. I kept a close eye on him – and he didn’t even steal anything!
You may refuse to be alarmed, and I don’t blame you. Our society is ridden with naïveté such as yours. That’s well enough in regular times, but now that these strangers walk among us unhindered each of us should stay a bit more alert. Or suffer the consequences, whatever those might be.