Gemotions

The familiar scent of crayons and construction paper did nothing to soothe the growing tension within her. The little girl's drawings displayed the same mischievous sprite he used to spend hours with. Her stomach twisted into knots. The sight made her breath come in short bursts.

She watched her sister and her niece playing, but the scene was warped. She felt a chill, like a cold hand had brushed her spine. Suddenly, she needed a drink, a strong one. She needed distance from this uncanny echo of her past. "Everything okay, Clara?" Her sister's voice, laced with worry, snapped her back to reality.