Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm inside Emily. She sat at the kitchen table, the half-eaten sandwich a testament to her lack of appetite. She had been neglecting herself. Her skin felt tight, her muscles tense.

Lily skipped in, clutching a drawing. “Look, Auntie Em!” it chirped. A girl with a red cloak stood in a field of flowers, holding hands with a shadowy figure. Emily’s breath hitched. She remembered her own imaginary companion, a protector who'd vanished with her childhood. A profound sense of displacement washed over her.

She excused herself and went to her bedroom. A hollow sensation settled in her stomach. The silence in the room was deafening.