Gemotions

The house vibrated with a deafening crack. Thomas rushed to the window, his heart thudding in his chest. Across the yard, the old elm tree, a familiar landmark in the neighborhood, had fallen.

Thomas felt a rush of something akin to grief. He recalled the countless hours he’d spent as a child beneath its shade. The feeling of grass between his toes. He remembered games of hide and seek and the feel of the cool bark on his back.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and saw himself there, a child again. He felt himself transported back in time. He opened his eyes again and quietly muttered under his breath.