Gemotions

The air in the house felt thick, oppressive. David sat at the kitchen table, running a hand through his hair, the gesture lacking its usual energy. He’d woken up with the world pressing down on him. The errands he’d planned to run seemed an impossible climb.

The discovery was a random click, a curiosity piqued by a notification. His daughter, Olivia, had been glued to her phone lately, but he hadn't thought anything of it. Until he saw the other account, full of inside jokes, and a version of his daughter that felt distant and alien.

He found himself pacing the living room, a restless energy building inside him. The silence of the house was punctuated only by the ticking clock, each tick a hammer blow. He eventually called her into the living room, but he struggled to meet her gaze.