Gemotions

He hadn't been back in years. He’d avoided the park, knowing the tree’s presence could wound him. But now, seeing the space, the clean cut, it was worse. The absence was a constant, sharp pain.

He stood there, frozen, his hands clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms. He thought about the countless hours he’d spent as a child, playing under its shade. That tree had been his anchor, his secret world. He felt betrayed, cheated, robbed of a part of himself. A wave of exhaustion washed over him.