Gemotions

The letter, carefully preserved inside a dog-eared copy of *Little Women*, felt wrong in her hands. The words spoke of a hidden illness, a devastating diagnosis. It felt like a punch to the gut. She had been looking forward to her reading night. The words felt very close and intrusive.

She found herself struggling to breathe. She blinked, trying to clear her blurred vision. She stood, unable to stay seated, but not sure where to go.

She felt a terrible emptiness, a void that threatened to swallow her whole. The warmth from the fire in the hearth didn't seem to reach her. She couldn’t shake the sense of unreality that had consumed her.