Gemotions

The photograph sat on the bedside table. It was a picture of the two of them, taken on their first trip abroad, a place she was so fond of. He ran his thumb across the smiling faces, feeling a growing unease.

He’d caught snippets of the language on the phone, a few words here and there. He had dismissed it, assuming she was speaking with family. But now, it was different. He'd found a dictionary in the desk drawer. The alphabet was unfamiliar.

He picked up the phone. She wasn't home. He started to pace, the silence in the apartment pressing down on him. The air seemed thinner.