This choice: Remain on the conveyor belt, you're not going home with someone who has a cat. • Go Back...Chapter #12Unnoticed for now. by: sneakyk   The cashier begins to inspect the items, lifting them one by one, the conveyor belt gradually becoming less cluttered. As he lifts them up you begin to wonder if either of the two giants would spot you. Well, you can probably rule out the older woman finding you. She's not paying the counter any heed, instead chitchatting with the young man.
"You know, sometimes I wonder what the world is coming to these days. One day I was checking my jewel box and I found that my earrings were missing." "Oh no." " My daughter thought I had lost them and for the longest time I did too, but I've been reading in the paper about how apparently there's been a spree of these! " Oh?" "Stolen without a trace. If I caught one of those jewel thieves breaking into my house, I'd show him a thing or two, you can be sure of that! Why can't people just earn their money the right way? Like you. You know, when I was your age, I worked as a cashier, too." "You did?" The woman dominates the conversation, the cashier only offering modest attempts to let the woman know he is paying attention as he focuses on scanning and bagging the items. He's gradually clearing the surface of the station of hiding spots...but also freeing you up to move around unobstructed by the groceries. Soon, the conveyor belt is entirely devoid of safe spots, leaving you wide open to get detected.
The woman slams her purse down onto the conveyor belt's edge with a mighty THUD and digs through it as she reaches for her wallet. You tense up as you realize that you're likely in her peripheral vision. She could well spot you. She rummages through her purse before finally pulling out her card and handing it to the man, who tries out the card's chip three times, muttering every time the machine fails to read the card, before resorting to a swipe. As he's processing his card, you notice there appears to be a shelf of magazines directly connected to the checkout station. You could likely hide behind one of them.
Finally the payment goes through. He finishes bagging her goods and returns them to her shopping kart, bidding the woman farewell. The woman leaves, leaving the man alone for the time being. Well, less alone than he thinks. You now face a decision...should you remain on the conveyor belt, you may well get seen by the young man. This could come with its own benefits now that you think about it. He seems reasonable enough. On the other hand, he could mistake you for a bug or worse. Alternatively, you could hide among the magazines, something that may give you temporary cover, but also means you may eventually get spotted by a random customer, or even crushed by an unknowing hand! | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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