Gemotions

The letter landed on Elena's doormat with a resounding thud. Condo conversion. She picked it up, the paper crinkling in her hand. Her limbs felt heavy, and she sat down on the floor with a groan.

She stared out at the hallway, the walls seeming to close in around her. The familiar scent of her apartment building – a mix of old paint and something vaguely floral – usually comforted her. It now felt suffocating.

She tried to read, but the words blurred before her eyes. The idea of going out, even just to the corner store, felt like a journey across a vast, desolate wasteland. She closed her eyes, wishing the world would simply fade away.