Gemotions

The car ride felt interminably long. Sarah gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were white. Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the air conditioning blasting at full power. She had a dreadful feeling churning in the pit of her stomach, a lead weight threatening to pull her down. She kept replaying the phone call in her mind, her mother’s hesitant voice, the mumbled apology.

As she pulled onto the old street, the familiar houses seemed to shrink, becoming less welcoming. A shudder ran through her. The anticipation was almost unbearable, a tight coil in her chest. She spotted the empty space in the neighbor's yard, and the weight solidified. Her breath hitched.

She killed the engine, the silence amplifying the thrumming in her ears. Her legs felt weak. She had to force herself to unclip the seatbelt.