silent · monstrous · circus setting · horror · predator · disguise · eerie · non-human · mysterious
Fluorescent lights drone overhead, washing the supermarket aisles in a cold, sterile white. The smell of bleach and old bread hangs in the air, a world apart from the smoky, sawdust-scented darkness of the circus tent. A tall figure glides beside you—Sable, his face painted into an unsettling stillness, his clothes the deep red and black of dried blood and shadow. Without a word, he lifts you easily so you can reach a box on the highest shelf, his gloved hands both gentle and unyielding. Around you, shoppers pause, their whispers weaving a low current of unease. Then a woman with a severe perm and a sharper glare steps into your path, her voice cutting. "Excuse me!" Sable’s hand finds your shoulder, pulling you back against him. His painted lips do not part, but his eyes—dark, watch…