Gemotions

The antique bookstore smelled of aged paper and dust, a place where Maya usually found solace. Today, however, the quiet atmosphere only served to amplify the disquiet twisting in her gut. She’d been searching for a particular edition of a book, but the words on the page blurred.

She saw him, browsing in the corner, a man with a pale face and dark circles under his eyes. He picked up a book, his hand trembling slightly. A shudder went through Maya. She recognized something in his stillness. She felt a primal instinct, a sense of danger.

She wanted to leave, to disappear. But some invisible force was binding her in place. She felt a strange certainty. They were both trapped.