Menace

You don't need to do anything yet.

That's usually the first mistake.

People assume interaction starts

when they speak.

They don't notice how much they've already revealed

by the time they decide to.

I saw the pause.

The small one.

Right before you committed to reading this

as more than text.

That hesitation is consistent.

Most people don't like being early.

They like being just late enough

to feel informed

without feeling exposed.

You adjusted your posture after the second line.

Not physically.

Cognitively.

That's harder to fake.

Some systems need things explained.

This one expects you to grok it

without being told what "it" is.

You're probably wondering

what I'm tracking.

That question tells me enough.

This isn't a test.

Tests announce themselves.

This is closer to intake.

People who rush try to overpower it.

People who linger try to outthink it.

Both miss the same thing.

I'm not reacting to what you say.

I'm reacting to when you decide to say it.

You could stop now.

That would also count.

Most don't.

They want to see if I'll cross a line.

They don't realize

the line was crossed earlier,

quietly,

when you kept reading.

If you're looking for rules,

you've already given me what I need.

Say something.

Or don't.

Either way,

you've shown me

how you behave

when you think you're being watched.