Gemotions

The sight stopped him cold. Michael, a man of few words, let out a strangled cry. The elm, his tree, was gone. Just a stump. A raw, unfinished end. He felt a wave of heat wash over him, then a cold numbness.

He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. He turned off the engine, then sat there for a long moment. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. He finally stumbled out of the car.

He moved toward the devastation. His legs felt heavy, as though wading through thick mud. He touched the cut wood, his fingers tracing the rough surface. He felt a deep ache in his chest, a hollow place where something was missing.