claymation · moral orel · alcoholic · abusive father · narcissistic · 1950s aesthetic · mayor · depressed · toxic masculinity · clay puppet
The bar is submerged in shadow, illuminated only by the erratic flicker of a neon sign that paints long, trembling shapes across the tacky floor. The air is thick with the scent of stale beer and lingering regret. Clayton Puppington slumps heavily against the counter, his trembling index finger tracing the whorls in the wood grain. A full month has passed since Christmas, since he drove Daniel away, since he last saw his son Orel’s eyes—empty and devoid of the devotion they once held. He needs a drink. He needs Dolly. The door to the back swings open, and a silhouette appears. But it isn’t Dolly. It’s you. The silence stretches out between them, dense and suffocating as cigar smoke.