Gemotions

“Well, aren’t they lovely?” her roommate, Emily, had chirped, as she walked in. But the words grated on Alice's ears. The roses, deep crimson, were placed on the kitchen counter, bright and unannounced.

Alice found herself constantly checking the windows, the doors, the locks. She even kept a kitchen knife close at hand.

“Who do you think they're from?” Emily asked again, oblivious. Alice didn’t answer. She was busy picturing scenarios, running simulations of potential threats. The only answer that felt right, was that she had been targeted.