Gemotions

The familiar street was different. She scanned the row of houses, each one a memory, a ghost of her childhood. When she reached the house, a cold dread seized her. The space where the weeping willow, her mother's favorite, once stood was barren.

She felt a tightening in her chest, a squeezing that made it difficult to breathe. Her eyes darted around, searching for an explanation, a sign. Nothing. Just the empty space, a gaping wound in the landscape. Her hands trembled as she pulled out her phone, dialing her brother's number.

“Did… did you see it?” she asked when he answered, her voice shaky. She wanted to scream.