Gemotions

The artist's pen fell out of her hand. Her niece, Chloe, was excitedly holding up a sketch of a whimsical creature with butterfly wings, and a crown of flowers. It was exactly as she imagined “Celeste,” the fairy that guarded her childhood dreams.

A suffocating sense of disbelief filled her. She felt out of sorts, ungrounded, as if the very fabric of reality was fraying. Her pulse quickened, and she struggled to catch her breath.

She looked at the image again, and it wasn’t just the drawing. She could swear she detected a faint glimmer of iridescent dust in the air. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

“Celeste told me you were her favorite,” Chloe said, her voice filled with childlike wonder. The artist fought back a rising tide of nausea.