Gemotions

The weight of the house settled on Liam's shoulders. The drawings were scattered across the floor, all featuring the same grotesque figure: "Slither," his childhood companion, now manifesting in his nephew, Ethan's, artwork. His mouth felt dry. "Ethan," he began, his voice barely a whisper, "Does Slither… ever disappear?"

Liam started cleaning, scrubbing the floorboards, wiping down the walls. He was trying to erase the presence of Slither, to scrub the memory of him out of existence. He felt himself losing control.

He drove Ethan to the park, hoping to distract him, to change the environment. The sun felt too bright, the air too loud. The fear was a constant companion, a shadow that clung to him, wherever he went.