Gemotions

The casual remark, "Oh, I'm thinking of replacing the pool," hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Lisa had made the comment while discussing their shared woes about the HOA with her neighbor, Mrs. Harrison. The 'pool' in question, Lisa had later learned, was a vast, infinity pool that overlooked the ocean.

Lisa felt a sudden chill, as if the air had dropped ten degrees. The world, which had seemed so balanced, now felt tilted, as if she were standing on a seesaw, and someone had suddenly added a great weight to the other side. She found herself unable to breathe properly.

She spent the rest of the evening staring at the ceiling, every creak and groan of her old house amplified in the sudden, echoing silence.