I was doing laundry late one evening at a quiet laundromat, hoping to finish quickly and head home. The place was mostly empty, with only the steady hum of machines for company. Then a man walked in, moving slowly and humming to himself. His behavior felt unusual — not dangerous, just unsettling enough to make me aware of every sound around me. I kept my eyes on my phone, trying to appear calm.
He kept drifting closer, offering odd comments and glancing around like he wasn’t sure if he belonged there. I felt a knot forming in my stomach. I looked toward the window, hoping to see someone outside, anything to remind me the world didn’t end at those glass doors. That’s when I noticed a little sign taped up earlier: “Security patrols every 15 minutes — you are not alone.” I didn’t think much of it at first, but suddenly I held onto those words like a lifeline.
