Gemotions

The morning air tasted sharper than she remembered, a crispness that seemed to tickle her lungs with each breath. She skipped, almost, down the overgrown path leading to the house, her old sneakers crunching on fallen leaves. The demolition crew had yet to arrive, and for the moment, the place was hers. A giggle bubbled up from within her, unexpected and bright, as she pushed open the creaking front door. The scent of dust and memory hit her, but instead of sadness, a lightness filled her chest.

A sudden urge to sing overtook her. She went room to room, the echo of her voice bouncing off the peeling wallpaper. Sunlight streamed through the dirty windows, painting stripes of warmth on the worn floorboards. She traced the outline of a child's hand painted on the wall, a ghost of her younger self. A feeling of something akin to rebirth surged through her as she touched the faded paint.