Gemotions

He approached the site cautiously, as if expecting the tree to still be there. Then he saw it. The smooth, flat surface. The suddenness of its absence hit him like a physical blow. He felt a chill deep in his bones, despite the warm spring air.

He kicked a small pebble, watching it bounce uselessly across the dirt. He felt like a stranger in his own life. The world seemed to lack color, or sound, or any sort of vibrancy.

The sun beat down on him, and he found himself wanting to be somewhere else, anywhere else. The space felt open, exposed, like a wound in the earth.