Gemotions

“This is crazy,” Maya muttered under her breath, pacing back and forth in her childhood bedroom. Her hands fidgeted, picking at the loose threads of her jeans. The discovery, unearthed during a landscaping project, had been a total surprise. Now, here she was. The feeling in her gut was awful.

The old wooden chest sat in the middle of the room, gathering dust. She didn’t know its contents, just that it bore her name and a date from her distant past. She felt like a stranger in her own skin, walking through a maze she didn’t build.

She stopped pacing and approached the chest slowly. She inhaled a shaky breath. She felt as though she might vomit. Finally, she grasped the latch and lifted the heavy lid. Inside, among old toys and letters, was a small, tarnished mirror. She stared at her own reflection, seeing someone she barely recognized.