Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room as Eleanor paced, the Persian rug feeling oddly uneven beneath her feet. She flicked through channels on the television, stopping on a nature documentary about the mating rituals of exotic birds. Bored, she grabbed the remote and switched it off, the silence amplifying the hum in her ears. Her daughter, Chloe, was supposed to be at the library.

She wandered into Chloe's room, a place she rarely invaded. The scent of lavender from the diffuser was strong, almost suffocating. Her eyes landed on Chloe's laptop, open on the desk, a tab labeled “BakingBliss4U” staring back at her. The profile picture was a cupcake, but the name was unfamiliar. A strange prickle of unease settled in Eleanor's stomach.

Carefully, she reached for the mouse and clicked.