Gemotions

The words on the notice blurred before Clara's eyes. Condo conversion. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and read it again. The letters still swam. She sat down on the worn steps of the fire escape, the metal cold beneath her. The change was a betrayal. She felt a deep sense of abandonment.

She dragged herself back inside and stood in the middle of her living room. The afternoon sun cast long shadows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Each piece of furniture, each photograph, was a piece of her history.

She wanted to scream. She sank to the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees, and let the silence swallow her.