Gemotions

The news felt like a physical blow. When the notice slipped beneath her door, Eleanor flinched, as if it were a venomous snake. Her fingers trembled as she picked it up, her throat feeling dry and constricted.

She couldn't stay still. She started cleaning, scrubbing with a fervor that surprised even herself. Every speck of dust was a potential threat, and she was determined to eradicate them all.

Later, she found herself staring out the window, her gaze fixed on the perfectly aligned fence posts on the other side of the street, and felt a strange heaviness settle in her stomach.