Gemotions

Standing at the edge of the property, her back rigid, Carol watched as a heavy machine moved toward the house. She had a picture, and it felt like she was watching it get burned. She felt the knot in her stomach tighten.

She could remember every detail of the rooms, the placement of the furniture, the way the sunlight fell on the walls. The smell of her mother's cooking, the sound of her father's laugh, the feel of the cool wooden floors under her bare feet.

She closed her eyes, unable to look. She saw the house, as if it were still standing, and then she saw it falling apart. The past was disappearing, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.