Gemotions

The cereal box was on the counter, but the milk was in the fridge. That wasn't unusual, but the placement of his favorite mug, filled with lukewarm water, was. He swore he’d left it by the sink. A prickle of unease started at the base of his skull.

He circled the small dorm room, his brow furrowed. The air felt… different. Stale, somehow. His journal sat on his desk, closed but not quite in the same position he’d left it. A single corner was slightly creased.

“Hey, Liam,” he called out, his voice sharper than intended. Liam was in the bathroom, the shower running. A muffled, “Yeah?” was the response. He hesitated, then dropped the thought. It was probably nothing. But the feeling of displacement lingered, settling in his stomach like a lead weight.