And then...

The alarm clock rang again, like every other day... Geo got on his feet slowly, yawning and stretching lazily. After a frugal breakfast he hastily ran out from the staircase holding the handles of his old bike. After a glance at both left and right directions, he sprinted into the traffic heading for his office...

At his office he turned on his PC and checked his email... Just the everyday spam... He checked the lists he was subscribed at, but there was no email. Who knows, maybe later..., he thought and started working.

In the afternoon, before leaving, he checked for messages again, but the mailbox was still empty. It's probably because of the heat that everybody feels drowsy, he said for himself and left.

On his way he stopped at the kiosk where he used to buy his books from. He looked towards his favorite corner and saw nothing.

- How come that you don't have anything here, sir?

- What should I have? asked the shopkeeper.

- Yesterday, about three SF novels and a book regarding UFOs stood right over there.

- I beg you a pardon, what was the book about? The entangled shopkeeper stared scratching his head top and looking toward the specified corner.

- About UFOs, repeated Geo, pitching his voice a little and looking straight into his eyes.

- Hear, son, I don't know what you're talking about said the bored shopkeeper and turned around to another customer who was approaching the kiosk.

Geo hopped on his bike and went on. What happened to this old fellow, he seems to be from another planet he laughed spitefully at his own joke. Suddenly, he decided to stray to the neighborhood bookshop. He locked the bicycle carefully and entered the room. Inside, he rapidly moved among the stalls and arrived in the area where he always used to halt. But on the shelves stood several medicine treaties... More and more vexed, Geo searched the entire shop but his fear turned out to be reality - the SF books were indeed missing!

He headed for the exit, while his mind was oozing with questions; on his way he stopped at the shop assistant who replied just the the old man from the kiosk did earlier, leaving him speechless.

Outside, the afternoon sun was so hot that Geo had to shelter at the shade of the terrace where he seldom went out with his friends. Ilarion was sitting at a table there.

- Hi Geo, what's up? You look like you've seen a phantom, laughed Ilarion.

- Cut it out Ile, I'm not in the mood for jokes now, said Geo and set down.