Gemotions

The letter lay unopened on the kitchen table. It was the final notice, the last formality before the wrecking ball arrived. Sarah kept glancing at it, her gaze flitting away like a frightened bird. She sipped her coffee, the lukewarm liquid doing little to soothe the knot in her stomach.

She’d spent the day walking through the neighborhood, revisiting favorite spots. The old oak tree where she carved her initials, the corner store where she bought candy after school. Each place was a silent echo of a life lived. The echoes have nothing to say anymore.

She picked up the letter. The paper crinkled in her fingers. She sighed and started sorting through the mail.