Gemotions

The car keys felt cold and heavy in Sarah’s trembling hand. She’d been meticulously planning every detail of the evening. The balloons. The cake. The music. But now, parked outside the house, a prickling sensation crawled over her skin. The streetlights cast elongated shadows, turning familiar objects into grotesque shapes.

Her carefully crafted plan had hinged on a phone call. That call, with the instructions, had not arrived. Each passing minute felt like an eternity. She stared at the house, the windows dark and lifeless, and a knot formed in her stomach.