Gemotions

Sarah hadn't left her apartment in three days. The curtains were drawn, the air thick with the stale scent of unopened windows and forgotten meals. Each morning, she woke with a crushing weight on her chest, a feeling that made even breathing a laborious task.

The mail carrier’s familiar thump against the door finally roused her. She managed to pull herself up and to the front door, the movement slow and agonizing. She picked up the mail. Junk, junk, a bill…and a card. No name on the outside.

She held the card for a long moment, the paper thin and fragile in her grip. The inside held only a generic message, but it was signed with a simple “X”. She found herself wanting to cry, the tears stinging behind her eyes. Why?