Gemotions

“Are you sure it’s the right one?” the voice in her head whispered. She squeezed the bear, its fur rough against her skin. This wasn’t a coincidence.

The neighborhood seemed different, more dangerous than she remembered. Every rustle of leaves, every distant car horn, made her flinch. The sun felt too intense, the air too still.

She started to feel suffocated, like the walls around her were closing in. She glanced back at the yard sale. The woman had disappeared. It was a trap, of course.

She walked faster, her steps quickening.