Gemotions

It was the basement closet. She’d always known it was a place of secrets, a place where her mother hoarded things. She just hadn’t realized the extent. The boxes were stacked to the ceiling, all labeled with her name.

She felt a rush of heat, followed by a sudden, icy chill. She grabbed a box and pulled it out, her fingers clumsy. The contents spilled out across the floor. She saw the familiar handwriting, saw the bad grades, saw the poems she had written.

Her mouth went dry. She wanted to scream, to cry, but no sound would come. She felt a growing sense of panic, the world narrowing around her.