Gemotions

The email arrived first, a curt notification about the book’s release. Then, the book itself, arriving anonymously on her doorstep: “Ava Carter: Echoes of Silence.” She ripped open the package, her movements jerky. Her hands were cold.

She scanned the first chapter, the author's voice, unfamiliar and yet…present. It was all there: her childhood, her relationships, her secrets. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a tightening.

She needed air. She threw open the window, the cold March wind whipping through the room. She stood there, inhaling deeply, trying to calm the tempest inside.