Gemotions

The dust stung her eyes. She hadn't expected the interior to be so… ravaged. Abandoned for months, the house felt forlorn. The once bright kitchen now looked dingy and dark. She picked her way through the debris, her footsteps echoing in the empty space.

She found herself pausing in the living room, where the Christmas tree had stood every year. The memory, usually comforting, felt sharp and jarring. She felt a tightness in her chest, a pressure that made it hard to breathe.

She reached out and touched a splintered piece of wood, the rough texture sending a shiver down her spine. The sun was setting, casting long, eerie shadows across the room.