Gemotions

She found the clearing first. Her breath hitched. The jagged wound in the earth, the splintered remains… it was a violation. A dull ache began behind her eyes, spreading down her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force back the unwelcome moisture.

The sweat prickled on her skin. She had saved for the tree, a weeping willow, the kind that whispered secrets. The money had been earned, every penny. The tree was a promise of a future, a green embrace. Now, just this… this insult.

“Unbelievable.” The whisper was a rasp, a desperate plea to an uncaring universe. She wanted to scream, to lash out, but the only sound was the rustle of leaves in the deceptive breeze.