Gemotions

The test results had arrived during a particularly sunny afternoon, a cruel juxtaposition of joy and devastation. Martha felt a strange disconnect, as if she were watching herself from outside her body. She was adrift, lost at sea, without a sail.

She sat in the garden, amongst the vibrant blooms of her mother’s prized roses. The beauty of the flowers seemed to mock her, their bright colors a stark contrast to the darkness that had enveloped her. She picked a rose and crushed it in her fist.

She retreated inside, shutting the curtains, creating a cocoon of shadow. She just wanted the day to end, to wake up and discover it had all been a terrible dream. She lay in the dark, wishing she could simply disappear.