Gemotions

He felt a tightening in his gut, a cold knot forming in his stomach. Michael stared at the drawing his sister’s daughter had created: a tall, slender figure with skin like parchment, smiling with teeth far too sharp. It was the "Shadow Man," the imaginary companion he had sworn to forget after his own childhood.

He gripped the edge of the kitchen counter. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. He wanted to snatch the drawing, to tear it to shreds, to erase this unwelcome memory.

"He's playing hide-and-seek with me, Uncle Mike!" The girl's innocent words were a stab. His gaze darted to the window, as if expecting to see the silhouette of a familiar menace. He abruptly turned and walked away. He had to escape.