Gemotions

“Uncle David, look!” Seven-year-old Ethan shrieked. David turned from the stove, a carefully prepared dinner forgotten. The drawing in Ethan’s hand displayed a familiar face; a stick figure with mismatched limbs and a perpetually bewildered expression. It was Bartholomew, David's childhood companion.

The blood seemed to drain from David's face. He could barely muster a forced smile. He turned back to the stove. The food was ruined.

He tried to keep himself composed. Ethan was just a kid, after all. But David felt a strange and unsettling pull in his gut.

He went to bed early that night, claiming a headache.