Gemotions

The pungent odor of developing chemicals, the red light casting shadows, the way my son, Ethan, would vanish into the darkroom for hours on end, all filled me with a sense of unease. His obsession with black and white photography, a hobby he’d picked up from me, was taking over.

I’d find myself staring at the closed door, imagining the images he was creating. The thought made my skin crawl.

One night, I stood outside the darkroom, listening to the whir of the enlarger. I felt my heart race and I fled.