Gemotions

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Her breath hitched. That tree, a slender birch with silver bark, had been her connection to something pure, to a time before everything became complicated. Now, nothing but a raw wound remained.

"Unbelievable," she whispered, her voice tight. The words felt inadequate, hollow. She wanted to hurl a rock, to break something.

She ran her hand through her hair, a nervous gesture she hadn't realized she was making. A hot flush spread across her cheeks. The audacity of it, the sheer carelessness. It filled her with an emotion she couldn't name, but it made her want to retreat into herself.