Gemotions

"Don't go near it, honey," her mother had warned, her voice thick with worry. But Clara couldn't stay away. She stood hidden behind a tall oak tree, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her palms were clammy, and her vision was blurry.

She watched as the workers began stripping away the siding, revealing the house’s bare bones. It felt like watching someone slowly peel back the skin of a beloved relative. The sound of the machinery was an assault on her senses, a physical blow.

She closed her eyes, trying to transport herself back to a time when everything felt safe and secure. Back when she'd been a child, running through the house with abandon. When the future had seemed limitless. Now, all she could feel was a profound sense of loss, a bottomless pit of emptiness.