Gemotions

"Hello?" Sarah stammered into the phone, her voice barely a whisper. The voice on the other end, a woman, spoke of her father, and a truth Sarah hadn't known: a younger sister. She felt as though the earth had shifted beneath her feet.

She dropped the phone onto the kitchen counter, the plastic case clattering against the tile. The sudden noise startled her. She went to the sink and ran the water, needing to feel the cool spray on her face. Her reflection was unfamiliar, as though her face had been altered, and she found herself struggling to meet her own gaze.

Later, she found herself tidying, as she always did when anxious. Every item in her apartment had its place. The act of cleaning was supposed to soothe her, but today it was the opposite. Each placement, each removal of dust, felt like a deliberate act, a way of proving her own existence.