Gemotions

The booming crack ripped through the quiet afternoon, shattering the tranquility like a dropped vase. It was over before I could understand what it was. My legs felt like jelly. I was sitting on the porch, reading a book. One minute, I was enjoying the breeze, the next, the world had become a cacophony of splintering wood and rustling leaves.

I quickly dropped my book on the ground and started to get up. My hands were shaking so hard I couldn’t stand up. I felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. I stumbled towards the edge of the porch, eyes fixed on the neighbor's yard. The massive maple, now cleaved in two, lay across the lawn.

My throat tightened. I forced myself to walk over to the tree line and look for the neighbor. My voice was a choked whisper, barely audible above the wind's rising crescendo. "Hello? Mrs. Henderson? Are you okay?"