Gemotions

The porch light cast long, dancing shadows across the lawn. This time, the gate was unlatched. Emily found Buster nosing around her hydrangeas. Her breath hitched in her throat, a cold wave washing over her. She knew she shouldn’t be this jumpy.

She backed slowly towards the house, her eyes glued on the dog. Its happy panting grated on her ears. It wasn't the dog itself, but the sense of having her boundaries crossed that made her muscles tense. He was a symbol of something else.

She reached for the doorknob, her fingers clumsy, her heart now racing. She needed to get inside, to lock the door, to find a place of safety where the world couldn’t reach her. The shadows deepened and danced.