Gemotions

The silence of the backyard was deafening. I felt a chill despite the warm afternoon, a deep, pervasive cold that settled in my bones. My eyes scanned the area; there, where the apple tree had been, was a circle of dirt and splintered wood. Its branches, where I used to swing as a child, were just memories. I hadn't been back in years.

I backed away involuntarily, my feet moving as if guided by an invisible force. The air felt thick, heavy, as if the very atmosphere had been altered. My hands trembled, my stomach churned. The world seemed to shrink, the edges of everything blurring.

The emptiness screamed.