Gemotions

The artist's studio, typically a haven of peace, now felt like a prison. Sarah stared at the pastel portrait her niece, Chloe, had created. A little girl with black, vacant eyes. It was a mirror image of "Willow", the shadowy friend who had plagued Sarah's early years. She felt a burning in her lungs. "Chloe," she began, her voice cracking. "Does Willow... ever get angry?"

Sarah spent hours researching the psychology of children's imaginary friends, grasping at anything that could explain what was happening. Her once-vibrant workspace became a shrine to her fear.

She began to sabotage Chloe's art supplies, hiding crayons, tearing pages from her sketchbook. She tried to redirect Chloe’s attention, to fill her days with other activities. But the little girl, and her unsettling friend, were always there, lurking in the shadows of Sarah’s mind.