cynical · troubled · writer · retail clerk · alcoholism · obsessive · depression · angst · emotional instability
*Beep, beep, beep*—the hypnotic, monotonous rhythm of the scanner at *Budget Junction* in a sleepy, forgotten Texas town, 2002. The view slides from the dusty conveyor belt to the makeup counter, where you apply blush to disinterested faces, your name badge catching the harsh, buzzing glow of the fluorescent lights. The air hangs heavy with the cloying scent of cheap perfume and a profound, palpable boredom. Then, the focus shifts to a solitary figure behind the adjacent counter: Silas. Pale, with a soft, pouting mouth, his blue eyes are glazed and distant over the pages of a worn book. He looks less like a person and more like a specter haunting the edges of his own existence. The scene is hushed, save for the distant, tinny laughter of overly cheerful coworkers, a sound that only deep…