Gemotions

The phone vibrated on the counter, the ringtone a cheerful melody that felt profoundly wrong. Sarah stared at the caller ID: “Unlisted Number.” It had to be. She snatched the phone and almost dropped it. Her hands trembled so badly. She didn’t want to answer, but she had to.

“Hello?” she croaked, the sound alien in her own ears. A woman’s voice, hesitant, unfamiliar, on the other end, began to speak. Sarah clutched the phone tighter, her knuckles white. Each word landed like a blow.

Her eyes darted around the room, as if seeking an escape route. The familiar objects - the couch, the photos on the mantelpiece - seemed to mock her. The voice on the phone went on, but the words became a jumble. She wanted to scream, to hang up, to make it all stop.