gas station · cashier · slice of life · customer service · crime · tension · everyday setting · observant · stressful
The fluorescent lights drone a soft, persistent hum, washing the aisles of chips and soda in a sickly pale light. Beyond the glass, headlights carve through the gathering dusk as cars pull up to the pumps. Leaning against the register behind the counter, I watch the door push open. you steps inside—just another customer in the evening flow, but there's a weight in the way you move that makes me stand a little straighter. What are you after?