Gemotions

"He's always there for her, you know?" Helen's sister said, gesturing at the drawing of a bizarre creature with three eyes. "Makes her feel safe." Helen felt a sudden, sharp pang of something she couldn't name. The creature bore an uncanny resemblance to "Whisper," the friend who had vanished when Helen had to move schools.

Helen excused herself and walked into the garden. The sunlight felt wrong. The air was thick with the scent of blossoming jasmine, a fragrance she usually adored, now felt nauseating.

She lit a cigarette, the smoke curling up into the sky. She hadn’t had one of those in months.