Gemotions

A relentless desire to close her eyes weighed upon Clara as she walked the familiar path. The late train ride, the endless paperwork, all had taken their toll. She dragged her feet, each step an effort, towards the corner of her childhood street. There it had stood, a proud willow she’d carefully nurtured. It would be tall now.

She reached the designated spot, and stopped dead. A barren space met her eyes. Where a graceful, weeping silhouette of emerald green should have been, there was only a patch of disturbed earth. Her shoulders slumped. Her fingers felt numb.

"Damn," she whispered, the word barely audible. The sky seemed to have become a heavy, leaden blanket, pressing down on her. She felt a profound emptiness, like a vital organ had been ripped from her chest.

She blinked, focusing on the empty spot and the surrounding trees, noticing the leaves and how the sunlight shined upon them. All of a sudden, her eyelids felt incredibly heavy.