Gemotions

The demolition crew arrived with their monstrous machines, and Maya practically bounced on the balls of her feet. Her grin was so wide it felt like it might split her face. She’d been waiting for this day for years. The house, that oppressive, suffocating house, was finally going down. It had been a prison, and now, liberation was at hand.

She clapped her hands together, a sharp, delighted sound that echoed in the otherwise quiet street. Dust motes danced in the sunlight as a crane’s metal claw reached for the roof. A giggle escaped her, high and airy. She pulled out her phone, already composing a celebratory text to her friends.

“About time!” she yelled, her voice buoyant. She felt a lightness, a sense of boundless freedom she hadn’t experienced since leaving those hallowed halls.