Gemotions

The house looked smaller than she remembered, diminished somehow. She stood at the edge of the property, the overgrown weeds brushing against her ankles. She hadn't wanted to come, but her brother had insisted.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm against the backdrop of the city's ceaseless hum. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her jacket. She pictured the interior, the faded wallpaper, the squeaky floorboards, the scent of her grandmother's cooking.

A crow cawed overhead, a harsh, unwelcome sound that jolted her. She jumped, her body tensing. She wished she was anywhere else, a million miles from this place.