Gemotions

The email notification had arrived at breakfast. Chloe hadn’t meant to look, but there it was, a new account alert, and curiosity, a twisting vine, had taken root. Now, staring at the screen, she felt her stomach clench. Her daughter, Maya, portrayed a version of herself so contrary to the girl she knew. A carefree version, full of a vibrancy that had been missing from their home.

Chloe pushed away her untouched plate of eggs. She felt a cold ache in her bones, a feeling like she was missing something essential. She wandered through the house, touching things, looking at familiar objects as if they were alien. A sense of wrongness filled the space. The light through the windows seemed suddenly harsh, unforgiving.