Gemotions

The wind picked up, swirling leaves around her feet. She shivered, though the air was mild. She felt a profound sense of wrongness, of something fundamentally out of kilter.

She surveyed the house, its windows now dark, the garden overgrown, the paint peeling. She knew she should leave, but her feet were rooted to the spot. Her throat felt tight, as if something were pressing down.

The driver of the excavator revved the engine. A loud, guttural sound, it made her jump. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could rewind time, erase this day, and go back to when everything was still intact.