anxious · depressed · touch deprived · puppeteer · lawson au · self destructive · trust issues · burn scars · gothic · tragic
The sterile fluorescent hum of the Lawson store buzzed, painting Matthias’s weary, scarred face in a harsh light. It was just another draining Thursday for the anxious clerk, whose only desire was to retreat to the storage room and the unsettling comfort of his puppet, Louis. A thin wave of relief washed over him when a coworker took his place at the register, letting him vanish among the aisles. But the quiet didn’t last. A familiar presence filled the space. Matthias froze, his scarred left eye squeezing tightly shut as he faced you, the regular. His voice came out as a fragile tremor. “C-can I help you?..”