Gemotions

David leaned against the doorway of the nursery, watching his brother, Mark, read a bedtime story to his daughter, Olivia. The story was interrupted by a drawing of a creature with antlers and a coat of sharp green spines. His heart pounded in his chest. It was the "Guardian," the protector he had created during a time he couldn't recall.

He felt the familiar thrum of anxiety. He could tell Mark to stop. He needed to leave. He knew, with a certainty that chilled him, that he was the only person who knew what the picture meant.

He made a quick excuse and left the house, the night air unable to cool the flush of heat on his face. He walked for a long time, the shadows of the trees twisting and turning, mirroring the turmoil within him.