Gemotions

Sarah stared at the drawing again. A lanky figure with mismatched socks and a wide, toothy grin dominated the page. It wasn't the quality of the art that gave her pause; her niece, Lily, was only five. It was the figure itself. It looked remarkably like Captain Squibble, the imaginary pirate who’d sailed the high seas of Sarah's childhood bedroom. A coldness crept up her spine, like someone had opened a window on a winter night. She reached for her coffee, the ceramic feeling strangely cold against her fingers.

“Lily, darling, who's this?” Sarah asked, forcing a smile.

Lily bounced on her heels, her eyes sparkling. “That’s Captain Flobble! He’s going to help me find the buried treasure!”

A tremor ran through Sarah. Buried treasure? Captain Squibble had been obsessed with buried treasure. She cleared her throat, feeling an unfamiliar tightness in her chest.