Gemotions

The flickering hallway light cast elongated shadows as Aunt Millie crept toward the guest room. Her breath hitched in her chest. She held a hand to her pounding sternum, like a vise was tightening. The drawings, pinned haphazardly to the door, were the catalyst. Her niece, Lily, had been drawing *him* again. The tall, thin figure with the mismatched eyes. The same one she’d conjured as a child, back when the house felt haunted.

A creak from the floorboards near the door sent a jolt of alarm through her. Millie pressed her back against the wall. The feeling that something was watching her, something *there*, was suffocating. She swallowed hard, forcing her legs to move.

Inside, Lily slept soundly. Millie scanned the room, her gaze darting from corner to corner. The air felt thick, charged. She quickly collected the drawings, her fingers clumsy, and hurried out, desperate to escape the unsettling presence.