Gemotions

The late-night light from the kitchen spilled across the living room carpet, a yellow rectangle of unwelcome illumination. Liam squinted. He’d sworn he’d turned it off before bed. He padded down the hallway, heart thumping against his ribs. He peeked around the doorframe. There was Sarah, head bent over their shared laptop, a pair of oversized headphones clamped on her ears. A strange dialect drifted from the speakers, something he’d never heard her listen to before. He lingered, unseen, listening to the unfamiliar sounds. He felt a coldness creep up his spine.

Liam retreated back to the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, a sudden hollowness in his stomach. He didn't know what it was about her current behavior, but something was off. He felt a nagging worry, a tiny, insistent voice whispering doubts he'd tried to ignore all week. He kept replaying the scene in his head. Her face, illuminated by the screen, had been utterly absorbed, a level of concentration he hadn’t witnessed in months.