Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in Elena's hand. After years of searching, she'd finally found him, David, a man, a stranger, staring back at her. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice hesitant, "the name doesn't ring a bell." A wave of disbelief washed over her, and she felt a strong pressure in her temples.

She’d spent countless nights poring over old photographs, the memories a beacon in her life. Now, that beacon felt extinguished.

The world narrowed to the sound of his voice and her racing heart. She could only stammer a response, a disjointed jumble of words, before she hung up. The screen's blankness mirrored the emptiness inside her.

The silence that followed was deafening, a physical presence, wrapping around her, squeezing the air from her lungs. She felt as though she had been thrust from a warm room into the bitter cold.