Gemotions

The train had just pulled in, and she didn't hesitate. She rushed off, practically bouncing with the idea of seeing the old house again. She'd spent years away, and the memory of that tree—her tree—was always a source of comfort.

She grinned as she pictured the familiar street. But when she turned the corner, the smile faltered. Where the pine had stood so tall and strong, offering the perfect climbing place for her younger self, nothing was there.

She blinked. Surely, she was mistaken. But the stark reality of the stump confirmed it. A bitter feeling spread through her, a hollowness that seemed to echo the emptiness she now saw.