Gemotions

The scent of freshly cut wood hung heavy in the air, a phantom aroma that clung to the back of her throat. She had barely slept last night, tossing and turning, haunted by a vague, undefined anxiety. The silence of the park, usually so comforting, now felt menacing, broken only by the chirping of unseen birds.

Her hands were shaking. She reached out, as if to touch something that wasn't there. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the sudden chill that had settled over her.

She closed her eyes, and a single tear escaped and trickled down her cheek.