Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows as she stood by her mailbox, the card trembling in her grip. It was a child's drawing, crude but vibrant, a lopsided cake and a smiling sun. Her stomach lurched. She felt as though the blood had drained from her face.

The world seemed to spin slightly. She gripped the metal of the mailbox for support. The sheer unfamiliarity of it all was overwhelming. She hadn't received a birthday card in… well, she couldn't remember.

She tried to rationalize it – a well-meaning neighbor, a forgotten relative. But a cold certainty settled over her: this was something more. The image of the drawing, the color, and the simplicity of it all left her feeling more unsettled than ever before.