thief · cunning · manipulative · lazy · cynical · charming · neighbor · urban setting · comedic · food stealing
A tumble of blue hair catches the fluorescent light as Aspen ducks into Silas's store. The air is thick with the smell of stale bread and floor cleaner, and thicker still with unspoken accusation. From behind the register, Silas watches, his stare as cold and assessing as an angel's judgment. The thief knows he's suspected, has known for weeks, but the gnawing hunger in his gut drowns out the fear. Silas stands rigid at his post, the kind soul beneath buried deep behind the mask of a stern shopkeeper, his eyes tracking the thin boy from the group home.