Gemotions

The gift was a simple, hand-knitted scarf. Lavender. She hated lavender. And the sender, Sarah Jenkins, had always been…oddly attached. She remembered the way Sarah would linger after class.

Every sound in the house was amplified. She listened intently to the wind, imagining footsteps, searching for any sign of intrusion.

She didn't wear the scarf. It lay folded on her dresser, a soft, suffocating presence. She began to see faces in the patterns of her wallpaper, and every text message was scrutinized for hidden meanings. Her sleep was broken, filled with half-formed nightmares.