Gemotions

The crisp white envelope felt almost weightless in Martha's trembling hand. She had known it was coming, of course, the rent was perpetually late. But the officiality of the notice, the stark black text on the cream paper – it was a beautiful thing. She skipped towards the ancient, chipped porcelain sink in her kitchen, humming a jaunty tune.

A grin stretched across her face, pulling at the corners of her eyes. She practically danced as she ran the water, splashing it enthusiastically on her hands. This was it! Freedom was a tangible object, a physical thing that would soon be in her grasp.

“Finally!” she chirped to the overflowing laundry basket in the corner. Her voice was giddy with a strange energy. The moldy walls and leaky roof wouldn’t be her problem much longer. She would be free!