Gemotions

The draft letter, recovered from a box of old photographs, was a simple thing, really; a note of complaint. But her stomach twisted as she reread it. The words, seemingly innocuous, resonated with a secret sadness she’d never known. Her father, always so stoic, had been hurting.

A prickly sensation took hold, causing her to jump at the sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the window frame. She felt as though someone had come to witness her grief.

She began to check the windows, the doors, and the locks. She even closed the curtains. She felt her heartbeat quicken as she reached for her cell phone. The screen flickered, and she jumped, as if the device itself had spoken. She thought of her father. She had to protect him. And now, she had to protect herself.