Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows as Maya walked home from the library, her phone clutched in her sweaty hand. Leo, her online friend, had just mentioned a coffee shop a few blocks away. The same coffee shop she passed every day. A chill ran down her spine, and she pulled her jacket tighter, even though the air was mild.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she imagined him, somehow, already there. Waiting. She quickened her pace, her heart hammering against her ribs, each footfall echoing loudly on the pavement. She glanced over her shoulder, a phantom tickle across her skin.

She changed her route, veering down a side street, every unfamiliar doorway and parked car seeming to watch her. The feeling followed her, a relentless shadow. When she finally reached her apartment, she slammed the door and locked it three times.