Gemotions

The text message. That's how she found out. Short, to the point. Demolition starting next week. She reread it a dozen times, the words searing themselves into her brain. She crumpled the phone in her hand.

She stood frozen, the kitchen counter supporting her weight. She pictured the house, standing serene, untouched by the outside world. This place was the center of her universe, and it was about to be obliterated.

She wanted to call someone, to scream, to do anything to make this not true. Her vision blurred, and the world seemed to tilt. She felt a profound emptiness, a void opening inside her, and she could do nothing but stand there, paralyzed.