Gemotions

The friend request felt like a trap. Claire found herself staring at the screen, heart hammering against her ribs. It was from Ben Carter, the boy who used to trip her in the school hallway. The request seemed innocent enough, a simple profile picture and a vague “We should catch up!” message.

She jumped at a noise in the kitchen, convinced it was him, somehow, already at her door. He had a way of showing up, of looming. She double-checked the windows, even though they were on the second floor. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps.

She deleted the request, but then found herself staring out the window, expecting to see him watching her from across the street.