Gemotions

"Mommy, who's this?" Sarah's daughter, Chloe, held up a crayon drawing. The drawing depicted a vaguely humanoid shape with oversized eyes standing beside a small girl who was supposed to be Chloe. It brought a coldness to Sarah's face.

Sarah felt her stomach clench. It was Him. The same shape that had been her constant companion as a child. He'd been named, quite simply, Shadow. She swallowed hard, struggling to keep her voice steady. "That's… a friend, sweetheart," she croaked. The lie felt thick on her tongue.

Chloe giggled, pointing to the drawing. "He's silly!" Sarah nodded, but she felt anything but amused. The air seemed to grow thick, heavy, as though the walls were closing in. Her head began to pound, a relentless hammer against her skull. She needed to sit down. She needed to be alone.