Gemotions

"Did you take my pen?" Chloe asked, her voice sharp. Her roommate, Jessica, looked up, startled.

“No,” she replied, her eyes widening. “Why?”

Chloe didn’t press the issue, but the question hung in the air, heavy and unanswered. That morning she had found her journal out of place. It was a slight shift, but she knew. She’d always known.

Chloe began to meticulously organize her belongings. She measured the distance between objects. She cataloged the order of her books on the shelf. She wanted to know the exact state of everything, so she'd know immediately if something had been touched.

The simplest sounds set her teeth on edge. The smell of Jessica’s perfume in the air was suddenly a suffocating assault.