Gemotions

The dusty attic air was thick with the scent of forgotten things. Eleanor, armed with a dust mask and a flashlight, was sifting through boxes when she found it: a small, lead-lined box tucked away in a trunk. A time capsule, she realised, with an unfamiliar name etched on its side, “Eleanor.”

With trembling hands, she forced the lid open. Inside, a child's drawings, painstakingly coloured, a collection of smooth, grey stones, and a small, tarnished silver locket. She’d forgotten the way she used to see the world, so full of magic and wonder.

Inside the locket was a picture of a little girl, wide-eyed and full of hope. The sight of it brought a hot rush to her eyes. She wanted to be that girl again, or at least, the woman she thought she would be. She sank down on a dusty crate, her face buried in her hands.