Gemotions

The air in the office was thick, heavy, clinging to Clara like a wet shroud. She stared at the clock, each second stretching into an eternity. Even the simplest tasks felt like an uphill battle. Her breath came in shallow, uneven gasps.

“Clara, you alright?” asked Tom, her coworker. He noticed her slumped posture and the way she was staring into the distance.

She swallowed hard, trying to force a smile. It failed.

“I was just thinking about the camp…Camp Sunshine,” Tom said. “Anyone else go there? The canoeing was fantastic.”

Clara flinched internally. Sunshine? The name held a bittersweet ache. She remembered it well.