Gemotions

Sarah watched the rain lash against her window, each drop a tiny hammer against the glass. The friend request sat there, a digital postcard from a time she’d desperately tried to forget. It was from Jessica, the girl who’d made her life a misery in high school, the one who’d orchestrated the endless whispers and the social isolation.

She absentmindedly traced the pattern of condensation on the pane. Her throat felt tight. Why now? Years of therapy, of building a life where she felt secure and confident, threatened by a single click. She leaned back against the cushions of her sofa, a familiar ache in her shoulders. The memories, though long buried, felt as vibrant and painful as if they’d happened yesterday. Her hand hovered over the 'accept' button, a strange mixture of fear and morbid curiosity bubbling within her. She closed her laptop. The rain continued its relentless drumming.