Gemotions

The listing's title, "Charming Family Home," felt like a cruel joke. Maria sat on her couch, a half-eaten container of takeout perched precariously on the coffee table. The photographs of the house, vibrant and full of life, were a vivid contrast to the state of her apartment. Dust motes danced in the shafts of sunlight, uninvited guests in her world.

She hadn't been able to sleep, tossing and turning through the night. The exhaustion was wearing on her. She felt a profound weariness, a sense of having been irrevocably damaged. She’d stopped answering calls and texts, the mere thought of a conversation filled her with dread.

She pulled the blanket tighter around herself. It wasn’t enough.

The house on the screen offered a glimpse of a past she couldn't recover, a future she couldn't reach.