Gemotions

"Well, this is…pleasant," muttered Jessica, her voice barely a whisper. She clutched the card as if it were a poisonous snake. Her smile felt fixed, unnatural. The bright, cheerful design, filled with balloons and confetti, seemed to mock her rising panic. She felt the sudden urge to lock every door and window.

The card itself was unremarkable. The problem was the lack of signature. She flipped it over and over, examining the envelope, the paper, the glue. Nothing. She wanted to know who had done this. Why. The questions swirled in her head, a vortex of anxiety.