Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the kitchen, but it couldn't soothe Anya's unease. Her niece, Sofia, handed her a drawing of a smiling clown with unnervingly blank eyes. He looked familiar. He *was* familiar. "That's Jangles," Sofia chirped. "He tells me secrets." Anya felt a cold sweat prickle her skin.

Anya tried to reason with Sofia, gently questioning her about Jangles. Her efforts were met with only more drawings, more stories. The vibrant colors in the pictures seemed to mock her. She felt like she was drowning.

She began to barricade herself in her room, struggling to keep her sanity. She stopped eating, stopped sleeping. The clown was everywhere, lurking in the corners of her mind, promising chaos.