Gemotions

He felt his cheeks flush as he saw the drawing taped to the refrigerator. Little Leo, his nephew, had drawn a creature with six arms and glowing red eyes. The creature, "Gleep," looked suspiciously like the monster under the bed he’d conjured as a child. He tried to laugh it off, a forced, brittle sound that echoed in the empty apartment.

He avoided his sister's calls that evening, feigning a busy work schedule. His palms felt clammy, and the air around him felt thick, suffocating. He kept replaying the drawing in his mind, the familiar lines of the creature, a reminder of a secret he'd tried to bury. He'd never told anyone.

He thought of buying some art supplies the next day, hoping to teach Leo about 'real' monsters, the ones in fairy tales. He knew, however, it wouldn't be enough. He also knew he'd fail.