Gemotions

The sunlight seemed too harsh, the air thick. "A tragic incident," the detective had said, his face a mask of professionalism. The small, enclosed backyard, which had seemed so appealing when she'd purchased the property, now felt claustrophobic. It was where they had found… him.

She paced the length of the patio, her steps unsteady. Each time her foot hit the paving stones, it felt like a hammer blow. The scent of the blooming roses, once so lovely, now triggered a wave of nausea. She wanted to scream.

She stopped abruptly, clutching her chest. Her heart was thumping erratically, as if trying to escape its cage. She needed to sit down, to breathe. But she couldn't. She didn't want to.