Gemotions

The picture was so familiar, it was hard to look at. The drawings contained a goofy grinning cloud with spindly legs and a tiny hat. It was ‘Nimbus’, her childhood companion. Now, her nephew, Sam, showed her the drawing with immense joy. “Nimbus tells me the best stories.”

A wave of dizziness washed over her. She clutched at the arm of the chair, her knuckles white. She felt as though the world around her had tilted on its axis, and everything was subtly out of kilter. The cheerful drawings seemed to mock her, taunting her with the impossible.

She found herself staring at the open window, as though seeking an escape from the suffocating atmosphere of the room.