Gemotions

The morning sunlight sliced through the blinds, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. Evelyn stared at the card. It was a cheap, store-bought affair, with a cartoon cat wearing a party hat. It was from... someone. No signature. Her birthday was tomorrow. The thought sent a cold wave across her skin.

Evelyn threw the card across the room, the flimsy paper fluttering to the floor. She hated surprises, and this felt like a particularly nasty one. She had spent the last few years carefully constructing a wall around herself, a barrier against the world and its relentless disappointments. This was a violation.

She went to the bedroom and took a bottle of pills from the drawer. She stared at the small white tablets, the words "take as needed" swimming before her eyes. Needed what? She wondered. She swallowed a handful, chased them down with a swig of water. They would help.