Gemotions

She slammed the art portfolio shut, the sound echoing in the silent, sun-drenched living room. Beads of sweat trickled down her temples. Sarah’s breath hitched in her throat, a choked gasp escaping her lips. The drawings, littered across the plush carpet, stared back at her with uncanny familiarity. There he was: Jasper, the mischievous sprite with the oversized ears and a penchant for mischief. Her niece, Maya, had been drawing him, giggling all the while.

Her hands shook uncontrollably as she fumbled for her phone, intending to call her therapist. But the numbers swam before her eyes. The air felt thick, heavy, unbreathable. She felt as if she was trapped, the walls closing in, the memories flooding back, crashing over her in suffocating waves.