Gemotions

She sat on the edge of her bed, the duvet pulled tight around her. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air, a stark contrast to the shadows that seemed to cling to her. The listing appeared on her phone. Her childhood house, once vibrant with life, was now a digital portrait of someone else's potential.

“Well, isn’t that just fantastic,” she muttered to herself, her voice a low murmur. She felt a chill crawl up her spine, despite the warmth of the sun. It wasn't the cold; it was the ache in the marrow of her bones.

A memory flashed: her father teaching her to ride her bike on that very lawn. She blinked, the image dissolving. He was gone now, and the house… the house was going too. She knew she should get up, do something, anything. But the weight on her limbs was crushing.