Gemotions

The old house, the smell of paint and floorboards. It felt more like a stranger's house than her own. But here she was, nonetheless, feeling a familiar sense of disquiet as the first wall crumbled. Her jaw clenched. She had come to pay her respects, but the moment she arrived she wanted to run.

She kept her gaze fixed on the ground, avoiding the stares of the construction workers. Their glances made her skin crawl. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck, as if that would somehow shield her. The dust swirled around her feet, a physical representation of the memories she was trying to bury.

She turned and walked away, disappearing down the street.