Gemotions

A sharp pain shot through David’s temple as he watched his sister’s family unpack. His sister was all smiles, her husband jovial, and his niece, Maya, was running around with a notebook filled with scribbles. One of the drawings, a grinning, vaguely canine figure with elongated limbs, caught David's attention. He knew that face. He’d poured his childhood woes into that particular imaginary friend, a confidant named Knuckles, who had supposedly shielded him from all the cruelties of the school yard. The fact that the little girl was drawing him made him feel a sense of unease. He turned away, wishing he could retreat into his own quiet apartment, where everything stayed still and predictable.

He walked into the kitchen, a knot of unease twisting in his stomach. The smell of his sister's cooking did little to soothe him.