Gemotions

The familiar scent of pine needles, once a comfort, now felt like a taunt. I saw the empty space first, a gaping wound in the familiar landscape. Then I saw the fresh-cut stump. My breath hitched.

I ran a hand through my hair, a gesture meant to soothe but failing miserably. My chest felt constricted. The tree. It was a stupid, inanimate object, yes, but it was my tree.

"Unbelievable," I whispered, the word laced with a bitterness that surprised even me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear up the ground with my bare hands. I closed my eyes for a moment, wishing I had never come.