Gemotions

The afternoon sun blazed down, unmercifully. Maya squinted, the light intensifying her internal turmoil. She'd stopped on a whim, a sudden, inexplicable urge pulling her back to the place of her youth.

She'd planted the birch with her best friend. They'd promised it would stand forever. The sight that greeted her was a physical blow.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out the image. When she opened them, the tree, or rather, the lack of a tree, was still there, mocking her. A knot formed in her stomach, a bitter taste rising in her mouth.