Gemotions

Eliza discovered the letter in a vintage copy of *Jane Eyre*, a novel she had read a dozen times. The letter described a meeting, a clandestine rendezvous. Her pulse quickened. The words seemed to vibrate with a hidden intensity. She felt a sudden, inexplicable need to look over her shoulder.

She slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in the silent apartment. She buried the book under a pile of other books. She rubbed her arms, as if trying to erase the ghost of a touch. The ordinary objects around her – the lamp, the coffee table, the photograph on the wall – seemed charged with an unfamiliar energy. She didn't want to be alone, but neither did she want to leave the safety of her apartment.