Gemotions

Lila sat on the floor, surrounded by a pile of photographs. Her great-aunt, known in the family for her tragic, early death, was pictured laughing, riding a horse, her hair blowing in the wind. She looked young and vibrant, the antithesis of the frail figure she was always portrayed to be. Lila's vision blurred.

Her hands shook as she picked up another photo. She felt a burning sensation behind her eyes, her head pounding. The reality presented in front of her was so jarring it made it hard to breathe. The carefully crafted family lore, the stories she had grown up with, no longer fit together. She wanted to scream, to lash out, to rend the fabric of her family’s history with her bare hands. She just sat, staring at the pictures, feeling lost.