You're sitting in your office chair, gazing out the window on an innocuous Tuesday afternoon. The sun is still high in the sky and as it beats down on the concrete of the parking lot, you feel an odd sense of isolation. The sunlight is everywhere, touching everything; yet, there are no people outside, just objects. Cars, picnic tables, signs. But no life.
There is a knock at your office door, strange, you think, but still, you say, come in. In walks a man you do not recognize, holding his hand out to shake. He is wearing a black suit, white shirt, black tie, and black wing tips. He does not tell you his name, instead, as he shakes his hand, he says your name. Which isn't strange, since it is written on the door and also on a plaque on your desk. You ask him to have a seat and what can you do for him.
Your office phone rings. You silence it. You got this far by treating every customer, client, coworker, and colleague with immediacy and respect.
Then your Apple Watch pings. You place your hand over it to ignore the notification.
It pings again.
Again.
Discreetly, you decide to take a peek. Carefully lifting your wrist, muting the gesture so your guest doesn't realize what you're doing, you awaken the watch.
The words jump off the screen. The room goes silent, save for the vicious pumping of your heart. "Get out." Followed by, "Now."
At first, you think to excuse yourself, say you have to use the bathroom. But this man is looking less friendly by the minute. Abruptly, you stand. He stands too, blocking the door. Something in you takes over. You dive through the glass window, the venetian blinds clawing at you like a monster. The man takes off after you but you've got a good head start. And, you have the advantage of man's greatest asset: his unbreakable will to survive.
As you run through the parking lot, focused, heart racing, you think about your next move. Don't dare looking back. Just keep moving forward.
As your stamina begins to run out, you see a gas station up ahead. You tell yourself to hold out just a little longer. And so you do.
When you get into the gas station, you walk to the back cooler, grab some water, and then a first aid kit in case any of the glass cut you. You decide you'll stay here and figure out what's up.
You approach the counter and double tap the button beneath the digital crown and then wave your wrist over the Verifone box.
You glance down once more. You met your activity goal for today and then some.
Congratulations.
