Gemotions

The letter, found tucked inside a cookbook, spoke of betrayal and deceit at a company she’d never heard of. Her mother had never mentioned any of this. It was a carefully constructed narrative, filled with coded language that made no sense, but at the same time seemed to say everything.

Her heart thumped against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat in her ears. She felt suddenly exposed, as if a spotlight had been switched on her. She locked all the doors, double-checking each one. Then, she pulled the curtains. The sunlight seemed menacing, and she couldn't shake the sensation of eyes watching her from the street, from the trees.

She found herself checking her phone every few minutes, sure there would be a missed call, a cryptic text message. She knew, she just knew, that she was being tested, evaluated. She sat there on the couch, the letter clutched in her hand, waiting for the inevitable.