COMMUNITY support is helping Karen Hanratty get through last week's traumatic robbery at Karen's General Store in New Berrima.
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Mrs Hanratty has operated the store for 25 years and is well known in the region.
Last Wednesday night (July 3), two men wearing balaclavas and armed with an axe entered the store and forced Mrs Hanratty to open the cash register and safe.
"I didn't even hear the door, I looked up and there he was, telling me to give him the money," she said.
"One was hassling me to do everything and the other was getting into the safe and taking cigarettes. My mind was working at ten-to-the-dozen."
She said there was only one word to describe how she felt during the robbery - fear.
"I just did everything they told me, the thought of fighting back never entered my mind, I was too scared to look at them, I kept my head down and did as I was told and the police have now told me that was the best thing to do."
The assailants tied her hands together and fled with cash and cigarettes, in what police believe could be a white utility.
It was all over in less than two minutes. When the assailants had left, Mrs Hanratty went to a neighbour's house for help.
"I was banging on the door and I was so frightened, I was crying and shaking - I was beside myself," she said.
Monday this week was the first day she has began to feel comfortable in the store again.
"It's really hard to feel normal, I'm so jumpy and suspicious, but I'm spending more time in the shop each day."
In the 25 years she's run the store, it has been broken into and robbed twice after-hours but never before held up while staff were in attendence.
"My husband thinks I've had a pretty good run, it's a safe town and it's still hard to believe it happened here."
A few months ago Mrs Hanratti had cameras installed inside and outside the store, in what she said was the best thing they could have done.
While she admits it's difficult not to wonder 'what if..?' she said she was doing her best not to dwell on it.
"I'm one of the lucky ones, you hear of hostage situations that go on for hours, and then they are tied up and left for hours."
She said she was surprised by the massive impact the robbery had on the community.
"I've had so much support, so many phone calls from people to make sure I'm okay, flowers, offers to do whatever they can to help," she said.
"It's really pulled me through, how everyone has been so supportive.
"It's like it's affected so many people personally, a lot of people are angry about what happened."
"Bowral Police have been wonderful - so compassionate and understanding and have done more than I expected."
Mrs Hanratti said security would be reviewed at the store.
Police from Goulburn Local Area Command attended the scene after the incident and are appealing to the community who may have witnessed something, particularly if they saw a white utility driving erratically on Taylor Avenue at about 8pm, to contact Bowral detectives or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.