Gemotions

She pulled the curtains shut, plunging the living room into near darkness. The roses, a deep, velvety red, sat on the counter, the only splash of color. They seemed to pulse with a hidden energy. The doorbell had startled her, a rude intrusion.

She didn’t recognize the handwriting on the delivery slip. She re-read the delivery details, then looked again. Her jaw was tight, her breath shallow. Every click, every sigh, every small sound felt loud.

She decided to leave the house, the walls closing in. She grabbed her coat, double-checked the locks, and slipped out the back door, heading for the woods, hoping to lose herself in the trees.