Gemotions

The old, leather-bound book arrived in the mail, addressed to the English teacher, Ms. Harding. She felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she traced the embossed title: “The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe.” She knew that one of her students, a boy named Finn, loved Poe more than life itself. When she flipped it open, she found it was full of marginalia. Most of the notes were benign, but one, written in red ink, jumped out: "You will regret this." She stumbled backward, bumping against the table, her breath catching. She quickly closed the book.