As time passed, the snow outside eased off.
The man could see outside more clearly now. Recent events had shaken him badly. He felt he just needed time. As it was, he had no idea where he was or how he got there. People were walking past. Most of them carried bags. Some had parcels. They all looked happy. He detected an air of excitement out there. Something special was happening, he was sure of that. There was a muted stream of music coming from somewhere.
He was aware of the fact that his powers of introspection were limited, but he had enough to contemplate his present situation. He realised that he was standing still, in some way unable to move. This may well be the result of the earlier disturbance. It had certainly shaken him up. He wondered whether he should try to move around a bit, but it could be too soon for that. Too soon after the… the what? He couldn’t say.
Then, it began to happen again.
The girl in the shop was excited about Christmas. Her mother called for her to hurry up. She looked in and smiled at the tiny snowman, shook the snow globe again and put it back on the shelf.