Gemotions

The news arrived during dinner, delivered by a curt phone call. Sarah dropped her fork with a clatter, the sound echoing in the sudden, heavy silence. The familiar aroma of her mother’s cooking, usually a source of comfort, now seemed to mock her.

Her appetite vanished. She picked at her food, pushing it around her plate. Her parents, sensing her distress, exchanged worried glances. She mumbled excuses and fled to her room, the taste of ashes in her mouth.

The walls of her room felt like they were closing in. She collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow.