Gemotions

The familiar creak of the stairs sent a jolt of anxiety through Maya. She’d been back for a week, and each night felt like a descent into some shadowy realm. The familiar scent of her mother's perfume, previously a source of nostalgia, now filled her with a sense of dread.

She couldn't eat. The food tasted bland, tasteless, and she felt like something was stuck in her throat. She spent hours staring at the ceiling, her mind racing. The quiet of the house, once a haven, was now a deafening silence.

Her mother, sensing her disquiet, kept offering hugs, but their touch was like a static charge, making her skin crawl. She found herself snapping at her, apologizing instantly, and then withdrawing further into herself.