In small towns, friendliness is expected. A wave, a smile, a greeting by name - even when you can’t quite place the face. But instinct doesn’t always sound like loud footsteps behind you. Sometimes it’s the quiet unease hidden beneath politeness.

This episode explores how everyday encounters - at a restaurant, on the soccer field, during a home remodel, and even at work - reveal the subtle ways instinct whispers before the mind catches up.

Not every alarm is loud. Sometimes it’s just enough to make you pause.

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Echoes of the Magpie is reaching listeners across the United States and around the world. If you’re out there, I’d love to know. Even just to say hello:  [email protected]