Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the porch as she retrieved the mail. She picked up the colorful card, its vibrant hues seeming to mock the muted shades of her world. Inside, a generic message wished her a happy day. She felt a sting behind her eyes.

She went inside, leaving the mail on the kitchen table. The silence of the house magnified the sounds of her own breathing. She sat at the table and stared out the window at the empty street. She noticed a lone leaf dancing in the wind, a solitary performance in a world that seemed to have forgotten her.