Gemotions

It had been a long stretch of days for Susan. Her daughter, Emma, had been acting strangely. She was avoiding eye contact, locking herself in her room for hours, glued to her phone. Susan had tried to talk to her, but Emma had shut her down, dismissing her concerns with a roll of her eyes.

One afternoon, while tidying Emma’s room, she found an old phone. She couldn't resist the urge to turn it on. It was password protected, but she found the code, written on a piece of paper. What she saw was Emma, but it was not the Emma she knew. Susan felt herself start to shake.

The words swam before her eyes, and she felt a deep weariness wash over her. It was a weariness that had settled in her bones, a feeling that she would never shake. She just wanted the day to end.