Gemotions

"Mom, look what I got!" Emily's son, a boy of ten, ran into the room, waving a brightly colored book. Emily's face paled. It featured a cartoon image of her on the cover, under the words: “Emily’s Extraordinary Life.”

She snatched the book from her son's hands. The pages were filled with accounts of her childhood, her teenage years, and even her current job. She felt like she was trapped in a funhouse mirror. Everything was recognizable, but somehow warped and strange. Her son’s joy at the book was unsettling.

“Where did you get this?” she asked, her voice tight.

“Grandma bought it for me," the boy replied, oblivious to the turmoil raging inside her. She wanted to scream. She had no idea where the information came from, or how someone could weave her life into such a fantastical tale.

That night, she held her son, but the warmth wasn't there.