As he walked in, hat askew, dark sunglasses on, I knew something was happening, wasn't quite sure what though. But anyway, I ducked behind the counter, it offered some sort of protection, I thought, on jobs like this that's all you can ask for really, I guess. He was circling the store, his hat kept falling, and as I looked, I swear his glasses were changing color, black to blue to purple to green to red to yellow to orange, back around again and again. That and the weaving up-down motion of his walking, bobbing his head, in tune with nothing but himself. Despite my fear I was absolutely fascinated by this seemingly shy man. The rhythm of his step entranced onlookers along with his curious dance. Then, before I knew it, the entire store was moving with him. Everybody was swirling between shelves in that funny gait of the man. I saw him step out - everybody else was too intent in their movement to notice the small man disappear. I was still behind the counter, couldn't bring myself to follow the dance, thought maybe he wouldn't notice me for some reason, my fear perhaps. As he slowly walked towards me - upright as can be, nothing exciting now, his face gone to an icy stare - he broke into laughter.

"So you won't follow the piper's jig, huh?" he accused me. I was too frozen to speak by that point and didn't even open my mouth. Then he let me know his reason for coming, as he pulled out a pistol the same night black color his glasses were stuck on now. The silence settled over the store, unbelievably heavy. To avoid his eyes I watched the people dancing without sound, before entrancing, now ridiculous.

"Do you like my methods?" he asked. "I thought you were better," he continued. "Didn't fall (Doesn't he mean dance? I thought.) for my routine, but no, I see, only fear kept you from it. How silly, don't you know my secret? I'm only scared when I kill in my dreams." Then as I blinked his gun turned into a dove and he returned to his dancing gait as he slid out the door, bird on his shoulder. With the closing door I watched the silence lift and the customers stop dancing as I came out from behind the counter. 1