Gemotions

The familiar scent of lavender from the candle on the bedside table usually calmed Chloe, but tonight, it only served to heighten her anxiety. She'd found the lipstick stain on her boyfriend, Ethan’s, shirt. Not her lipstick, a bright red shade she’d never worn. She felt a chill creep over her.

She sat on the bed, frozen in place. Her breath quickened. The walls seemed to be closing in, the room shrinking around her. She tried to think of anything else, but every memory she had with Ethan was now tainted.

She stood up abruptly, pacing the room. The smooth wood of the floor felt cold against her bare feet. The silence of the apartment was overwhelming. Her hands were clammy. She felt a deep sense of wrongness, as though the world had tilted on its axis.