Gemotions

The email arrived, neatly formatted, from the landlord. "Important Announcement Regarding Your Tenancy." Her stomach lurched. She scrolled through the carefully worded paragraphs, each syllable a blade twisting deeper.

She slumped in her chair, the light from the computer screen reflecting in her glassy eyes. The world seemed to tilt. The familiar comfort of her apartment, once a refuge, now felt like a cage, about to collapse.

She imagined the future, the endless apartment searches, the inevitable rent increases. The prospect filled her with a profound weariness, a desire to simply cease. She wanted to scream, to break something. She clicked the delete button, but the words remained.