Gemotions

"Well, that's just fantastic," Sarah muttered, the words raspy and barely audible. She crumpled the test results in her hand, the paper crackling like bones snapping. She sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sagging beneath her. The revelation felt like a physical blow, a sudden punch to the chest that stole her breath.

She had been so excited to find out her heritage. Now, the map of her ancestry was a foreign land. She ran a hand through her hair, finding no solace in the familiar gesture. She pictured her parents, the people who raised her, and a sharp, unfamiliar pain pierced her heart. She couldn’t look at their picture on the bedside table anymore. She felt an urge to run, to escape this house, to flee the life that now seemed so fraudulent.