Gemotions

The party was a disaster. Sarah stood near the edge of the noisy gathering, feeling completely disconnected from the cheerful chatter. She clutched a glass of lukewarm punch, a physical manifestation of her own apathy. Everything felt dull, the joy of others jarring against her own internal quietude.

Her cousin, Chloe, pulled her to the side, wanting to show her something. She was holding a drawing.

"Look, Sarah! It's Flub!" Sarah gazed at the picture. A small, round being with an oversized smile and tiny, barely visible wings. A feeling, old and familiar, washed over her, a deep and inexplicable ache. A ghost of a memory danced at the edge of her vision.