Gemotions

The silence in the dorm was deafening. It was late, past curfew, and Sam felt wide awake, every nerve on high alert. He sat up in bed, listening. His journal, now locked in a suitcase under his bed, felt like a loaded weapon.

He had started leaving decoy notebooks around, filled with mundane observations and pointless sketches. It was a test. If his roommate, David, was snooping, maybe he would get bored and leave his actual journal alone.

Sam was jumpy all day. He barely ate. He flinched at every knock on the door. When David returned to the dorm, Sam feigned sleep, his heart pounding, his body tense.