Gemotions

The demolition crew's yellow excavator loomed, its metal teeth glinting in the morning sun. Amelia stared, hands shoved deep in her pockets. The house, her childhood fortress, stood vulnerable, a single window on the second floor winking open like a startled eye. A cold knot tightened in her stomach. She hadn't expected to feel this…this *off-kilter*.

She'd known this day was coming. The contract was signed, the new development approved. Yet, watching the sunlight play across the peeling paint of the porch felt…wrong. It felt like a memory, solid and real, was about to be obliterated.

Amelia pulled out her phone, then shoved it back in, unable to take a picture. A low rumble emanated from the excavator, a mechanical growl. She took a shaky breath, the air suddenly thin and hard to find. A wave of dizziness washed over her. Her legs felt weak.