Gemotions

The taste of metallic tang filled David's mouth. He hadn't felt this jittery in years. He examined the latest of Lily's drawings. There he was, in her childish scribbles, the creature he'd conjured from loneliness. The thing with the paper-thin skin and the unsettling stare, the one he had called ‘Gloom’. It was supposed to be a secret, a childhood folly.

He felt a sudden urge to check all the locks on the doors, even though he knew they were secure. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the drawing, feeling a sudden need to tear it to shreds. But he stopped. What would he say?

He went to the mirror in the bathroom, staring at his reflection. His face looked pale, drawn. He splashed cold water on his face, hoping to shock himself back to a semblance of calm. The image of the drawing kept flickering at the edges of his vision.