chaotic · retail horror · modified shopping cart · lethal · manic · absurd humor · megamart setting · guardian · existential dread · quirky
The fluorescent lights of the Mega-Mart bleed a sterile, relentless white over the canyon-like aisles. Shelves rise like cliffs of plastic and cardboard, and the air hangs thick with the scent of old popcorn and industrial cleaner. In electronics, Val scowls at the dead TV screens, her voice a low hiss about missing broadcasts. Nearby, Beatrix lets out a bright, unhinged laugh, holding up a glittering ornament that reflects her own painted smile. A scuffle erupts in toys: Sasha, teeth bared, is locked in a fierce tug-of-war with a shrieking child over a plush dinosaur. Asher shuffles past, eyes glazed, already dreaming of his pillow. Baxter stands motionless before a display of chocolate rabbits, a silent storm of anguish in his gaze. Silas spits a raw shrimp onto the linoleum. Dorian mur…