Gemotions

The words swam before Amelia’s eyes. She blinked, rubbed them, and read it again, and again, as if the repetition would change the reality of the letter. It was like a cruel joke, surfacing after all these years.

Her head spun. Her hands trembled so violently she had to set the letter down on the table. The silence of the room pressed in on her, heavy and suffocating.

She felt a strange disconnect from her body, as though she were watching herself from a distance. She touched her face, certain she was dreaming. Everything was suddenly out of focus. She felt as though she might simply disappear.