Gemotions

The air crackled with a strange electricity. From her window, Sarah saw the aftermath: the skeletal remains of the neighbor's beloved maple, now a tangled mess across their perfectly manicured lawn. Her jaw clenched, her teeth grinding together. She felt a familiar pressure building in her chest, a tightening that made it difficult to breathe.

She wanted to scream, to run. She wanted to scream at the world. She hugged herself tightly and sank onto the couch. Every muscle in her body was tense, as if coiled spring, ready to snap. She stared blankly at the scene, feeling a sense of overwhelming unease.

She was suddenly convinced that everything was precarious, like a house of cards.