Gemotions

"Just leave it, Maya," Ethan said, his voice clipped. He was trying to sound jovial, but his words came out sounding like a reprimand. The little girl looked up at him, her eyes wide, and clutching the crayon to her chest. He could not look at the drawings anymore.

He was tired of the drawings, the questions, the constant reminder of a time he wanted to forget. The drawings brought forth a creature, a shadow, that he had conjured in his own youth. A creature that haunted him still, in the form of his niece's art.

Ethan walked to the window, staring out at the dull grey sky. His shoulders were stiff, and he knew he was acting poorly. It felt like a betrayal. He closed his eyes.

He heard Maya's small footsteps fade away. Alone in the quiet, he felt a wave of guilt wash over him.