Gemotions

Rain hammered against the windowpane, mirroring the relentless drumming in Eleanor’s head. She stared at the eviction notice taped to her refrigerator door, the stark white paper a beacon of unwelcome tidings. The aroma of stale coffee hung heavy in the air, a familiar comfort that now felt tainted.

She swatted at the air, as if trying to physically dispel the news. Her breakfast cereal remained untouched on the table, the milk curdling at the edges.

The world seemed to be closing in, each corner of her tiny apartment shrinking with the weight of impending displacement. She ran a hand through her hair, the strands catching in her fingers as though clinging to the last threads of a life she knew.

“Condos,” she muttered under her breath, a bitter taste rising in her throat.