Gemotions

The smell of fresh paint, acrid and sharp, had begun to waft through the open window, mixing with the dust. It made her eyes water. Sarah chewed on her lip, a nervous habit she hadn't realized she still had. The rhythmic whine of the saw next door was a constant irritant.

She’d planned to bake a cake this afternoon, something to soothe her frayed nerves. Now, she just wanted to scream. The thought of adding yet another task to her already packed day sent a shiver of anxiety through her. Her heart started to pound in her chest, a frantic drumbeat. It felt as if her entire life was being dismantled, brick by agonizing brick.

Sarah slammed the cookbook shut, a sharp crack echoing in the suddenly quiet room. She didn’t know how much more she could take.