Gemotions

The clearing was bathed in an ethereal light. A light that seemed to expose the emptiness that once contained a tree. The tree he planted with his father, each of them digging into the soil together. Now, only a patch of disturbed earth remained.

Ben couldn’t move. His boots felt rooted to the spot. His vision swam. A buzzing noise filled his ears.

He pressed a hand to his forehead, his fingers pressing hard. The world felt unreal. The familiar landscape had become alien. He felt a sudden urge to turn away, to run. But his legs would not respond.

"Gone," he whispered, the sound lost in the breeze.