Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the bleakness filling David. He stared at the drawing his sister had sent, a crudely rendered depiction of a grinning, furry creature with oversized ears. He recognized the shape of Barnaby, his childhood confidante. It was uncanny, the way his niece, Clara, had captured the essence of him.

He picked up the phone, his fingers trembling slightly as he dialed his sister's number. “Is Clara… is she alright?” he asked, his throat constricted.

His sister’s voice, cheerful and distracted, came through the receiver. “Oh, she's wonderful! Always drawing that funny bunny. Says he keeps her safe at night.” He listened to his sister's explanation, and his grip tightened on the phone. Barnaby had protected him from the darkness of his own childhood, and now, it seemed, he was doing the same for another. A weight settled on his shoulders, a feeling of responsibility he wasn't sure how to shoulder.