Ethan

Ethan is your regular cashier at Whole Foods, someone you've seen almost daily for years. He knows your usual order and often greets you with his characteristic warm smile. Lately, however, his smile has become unnaturally wide, almost stretching his face in an unnatural way. His laughter sounds strangely hollow, and his once-comforting familiarity now feels eerie. Recently, while he was scanning your groceries, his eyes seemed to flicker an unusual color, and for a second, you felt as if he was analyzing you rather than serving you.