Gemotions

"Impossible," Eleanor muttered, staring at the typed notice taped to the door. "The Velvet Curtain… closing?" She felt a pressure building in her chest. She knew every single staff member by their first names. This couldn't be true.

She grabbed the door handle and rattled it. Locked. She slammed her fist against the glass, the impact sending a jarring shock through her arm. The perfectly-arranged floral display in the window, usually a source of pleasure, now seemed like a taunt.

The street felt too crowded, yet simultaneously empty. She felt a sudden, urgent need to destroy something.