Gemotions

From her bedroom window, she witnessed the devastation unfold. The tree, her neighbor’s aging, looming oak, now lay sprawled across her pristine garden, the branches decimating her prize-winning petunias. She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Her pulse quickened, a frantic drumbeat in her ears. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a physical manifestation of her rising panic. She needed to do something, anything. But what? She felt paralyzed, rooted to the spot.

She looked around the room, as if searching for an answer. The air felt heavy, suffocating. She opened the window, trying to suck in the fresh air, but it did little to alleviate the feeling of being trapped, both physically and emotionally.