Gemotions

Maya slammed her laptop shut with more force than necessary. The screen's glare seemed to mock her. "Seriously?" she muttered, the word a small, bewildered puff of air. The guy she’d been gaming with for months, the one who called himself *ShadowBladeX*, had just pinged her on a local dating app. Same city. Their avatar pictures were almost identical.

A chill ran up her spine. She'd confided so much to him, about her family, her dreams, her utter distaste for Brussels sprouts. Now, the face looking back from the app seemed eerily familiar, but she still couldn't put a name to it. Her fingers drummed a rapid, staccato rhythm on her desk.

She instinctively knew she should just block him, but a strange hesitancy held her back. The world suddenly felt small, and unfamiliar. She reached out and opened the app again.