Gemotions

The basement smelled of damp and forgotten things, just like a childhood memory. Sarah found the boxes during a purge of her parent's house. Each was filled with her mother's school work, meticulously preserved. She felt a chill crawl over her skin.

She picked up a science project on the life cycle of a butterfly, complete with colorful drawings. Each page was a window into a hidden world, a glimpse of the young woman her mother had once been. The revelation was almost overwhelming.

She sat down on a dusty old chair, her head swimming. She felt a knot tighten in her stomach, a feeling of constraint. The air seemed to grow thick, making it hard to breathe. The room spun slightly. She stood and fled the basement.