Gemotions

The phone vibrated insistently on the kitchen counter, each pulse a hammer blow against Maya's skull. “New Message: Your half-sister is trying to reach you.” She hadn’t slept. She couldn't eat. The world had shifted on its axis.

She stared at the phone, a small, black object of immense power. The thought of this unknown person, someone sharing her father's DNA, made her feel like she might physically unravel. She backed away from the counter, almost tripping over the dog.

She finally picked up the phone, her hands trembling. An unknown number, a picture of a smiling face she didn't know stared back at her. Her heart hammered a frantic tattoo against her ribs, threatening to burst free.