Gemotions

The attic felt suffocating. The air clung to her like a damp shroud. She yanked open the old trunk. It was a jumble of cast-offs, evidence of another family's happiness. Why had they left this for *her*?

A child's teddy bear, missing an eye, stared up at her. She snatched it up and threw it across the room. She was alone with the dust and their discarded memories.

A small wooden box contained a collection of photographs. They smiled from the photos, the family. They were the perfect family. She ripped them in two. Each tear felt like a tiny victory. She had no one, and no one wanted her.