Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows as she slammed the car door, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet neighborhood. She hadn't slept well in days, and now felt a deep-seated agitation. Her mind raced, a whirlwind of anxieties and unresolved thoughts. She needed to *move*, to find a release, a moment of respite from the interior chaos.

The spot was vacant. The old elm, a towering giant she had known since childhood, was gone. Just a circle of wood in the ground. She stared at it, a knot forming in her throat. The wind rustled through the remaining trees, a gentle whisper that felt like a sharp rebuke. She took a step back, as if the space itself was contaminated.