Gemotions

The silence of the house pressed in on Jessica. She jumped at the creak of the floorboards. Her niece, Emily, was upstairs, and Jessica was waiting downstairs. The drawings were scattered across the coffee table. A grinning, toothy creature with long, spindly limbs. The same creature.

She rubbed her temples, trying to ward off a headache. Each line on the page brought back a flood of memories. An unfamiliar need to control things. She heard a small thump from upstairs.

She bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. “Emily!” she called, her voice tight with concern. The door to Emily's room was slightly ajar.