Gemotions

A cold dread coiled in her stomach. The listing for her childhood home, "Charming 3-bedroom, Ready to Move In!" seemed to mock her. She felt leaden, every limb resisting her movements. The world outside the window was muted, the gray sky mirroring her mood.

She pulled the wool blanket tighter around herself, seeking solace from the chill that had permeated her bones. She remembered the creaking floorboards, the scent of her grandmother's baking, the echoes of laughter that seemed to have vanished completely.

"Just a house," she muttered, the words brittle and thin. Yet, the memories, sharp and painful, swirled around her, refusing to be dismissed. She pushed herself away from the computer, the chair scraping against the floor, a sound that amplified the silence in the room.