Gemotions

The bustling marketplace was a dizzying array of sights and sounds. The aromas of spices and roasting meat assaulted her senses. A sense of panic clawed at her throat. A cold dread seeped into her bones. Her grandmother, the matriarch of the family business, the anchor of their family, had simply... left.

Her stall felt exposed, vulnerable. The familiar energy that had always supported her had vanished. She fumbled with the coins in her pocket, her fingers clumsy and unresponsive. She heard someone call out for a price check and the question seemed to cut her down. She wanted to scream, to run away, to hide. She swallowed hard, taking a shaky breath, and tried to speak.