Gemotions

He crumpled the card in his fist, then immediately smoothed it out, smoothing it as if trying to erase something. The action felt utterly useless, but he couldn’t stop. The small, innocuous message had stirred something deep within him, a knot of pure fear that tightened with every passing second. He felt a need to break something, to scream, to lash out at the unknown sender.

His breaths were coming rapidly, shallowly. He checked the locks again, meticulously, compulsively. He needed to be safe. He needed to be secure. The thought of someone watching him, someone knowing his birthday, sent a chill through him.

He sank to the floor, leaning back against the cool surface of the wall, his gaze fixed on the blank space in the card's center.