Random violence is terrifying. As the narrator searches for reason, so do readers search for a cause. Fear mounts as the irrationality of the event becomes clear. Irrationality means unpredictable. Readers are on edge, wondering what will happen.

You build tension very well in this story and subtly foreshadow violence. Deep ox blood paint sets the scene as does the information that theft and armed robbery are the norm. We are, of course, relieved that only a music box is lost. The end is emotionally satisfying.

Thank you for posting this very well-realized story in the Ink Well community.