Gemotions

He hadn't been reading much lately, but the "Complete Works of Shakespeare" had caught his eye. The letter was a shock. It was a request for help, a desperate cry. His world fractured.

He started sleeping with a knife under his pillow. The sounds of the night, the distant sirens, the rustling of leaves, became harbingers of dread. He felt like the air itself was tainted.

The faces of his colleagues, the friendly smiles of the cashier at the grocery store, now seemed to hide a multitude of sins. He changed his routines, altered his routes, always looking over his shoulder.