Gemotions

The radio announcer’s voice, once a familiar comfort, now grated on her nerves. The announcement had been brief, clinical: “The beloved Bistro du Soleil will be closing its doors.” She clicked the radio off, the sudden silence deafening.

She felt a hollowness, a void opening inside her. She needed to see it, touch it, smell it. She threw on her coat, her movements jerky and rushed. She had to get there, before it was too late, before the final shutters came down.

She pulled the car door shut, and sped through the neighborhood. The familiar streets felt alien now.