Gemotions

The list. "Write a novel," it announced, in her father's meticulous hand. "Find a soulmate." The audacity of it! He hadn’t even realized his father had a soul. Now, suddenly, he felt he was in danger.

He felt the weight of the list, a tangible presence. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, studied. He saw faces he didn't recognize, lingering in the shadows. He started changing his routines, varying his route to work, avoiding his usual coffee shop.

He kept the blinds closed, the doors locked. The silence of his apartment was broken only by the frantic beat of his own heart. The list. He was a puzzle piece. It needed to be solved, and he feared whoever wanted it.