Gemotions

The bitter January wind whipped at Clara’s face as she walked home, her shoulders hunched against the cold. The friend request from Kevin Peterson felt like another icy blast. He’d always been the alpha, the ringleader of her teenage tormentors.

Each step was heavy, as if she were carrying stones. Her apartment, usually a haven, now felt confining, a cage. The thought of the old wounds reopening made her want to run.

She stopped at her door and fumbled with her keys. The click of the lock seemed loud in the silence.