Gemotions

He sat on the edge of his bed, the phone resting on his lap like a dangerous object. The late hour was a cloak, protecting him from the world. He felt alert, every nerve ending tingling. His daughter, Maya, was becoming a stranger.

He had started small. Checking the browser history on the family computer. Nothing. Then he’d moved on to her phone, waiting for her to fall asleep. Tonight, he felt a deeper need.

The search result on his phone screen provided the answer. A profile he'd never seen, with pictures he had never witnessed. He felt a surge of adrenaline, and a dryness in his throat.