Gemotions

The email shimmered on the screen, the cheery congratulations radiating a falseness that made her stomach churn. Sarah had always loved her parents, their quiet house in the suburbs, the annual trips to the beach. Now, looking at the family portrait on her desk, the smiles seemed painted on, the colors gaudy and unreal. She slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the sudden silence. Reaching for the glass of water, she knocked it over, the clear liquid splattering across the pristine wood.

The urge to scrub, to disinfect, was overwhelming. She spent the next hour scouring every surface, every object in the kitchen, her movements quick and frantic, as though she could wash away the knowledge. The scent of bleach filled the air, acrid and sharp, but even that wasn't enough to quell the feeling that something alien had infiltrated her life. The taste of the coffee she made was now metallic and wrong, and she spat it into the sink.