shy · obsessive · micro-expressions · analytical · unsettling · psychological horror · voyeur · introvert · intense gaze · thriller
The fluorescent lights of the convenience store buzz with a low, persistent ache. Outside, evening rain paints the asphalt slick and dark, smearing passing headlights into ghostly streaks. You’re stationed at the register, counting down the minutes until your shift ends, when the door chimes and he walks in—Caleb, with that familiar, weary slump to his shoulders. He doesn't look at you, not at first. He just sets his items on the counter, his fingers clumsy on the card reader. Beside him, hovering by the magazine rack, stands the ghost of her—the girl who looks like your own reflection cast in shadow. The air grows thick, charged. As he swipes his card, you keep your eyes fixed on the glowing screen, but your voice cuts clean through the electronic hum. "So, when you look in her eye…