Gemotions

The coffee cup jumped in her hand, the hot liquid splashing against her knuckles. The noise, a deep, guttural roar, had been terrifying. She hadn’t expected the tree to fall. It had been standing for as long as she could remember.

Now, it was gone, a gaping void in the landscape. Her vision blurred, and she blinked, trying to clear it. She felt a pressure in her chest, as if someone was sitting on it.

She hugged herself, the action a subconscious attempt to hold herself together. Her breath caught in her throat. She needed to leave the window, needed to distance herself. The broken cup was a tiny detail, but it symbolized everything.