Gemotions

The clatter of the dog against the patio door jolted Chloe awake. She sat upright in bed, heart racing. Through the glass, she saw it: the dog, happily gnawing on her brand-new outdoor cushions. She gasped, her chest tightening.

She scrambled out of bed, fumbling for her robe. Her legs felt weak. The cushions, which she’d painstakingly chosen, were being ripped to shreds before her very eyes. She felt a cold, cloying sensation creep up her spine.

“No, no, no, no, no,” she kept repeating, her voice barely a whisper.