Gemotions

The drive back to the old neighborhood had been long, and Sarah felt the strain of the trip, a deep fatigue settling in her bones. She focused on the destination, the redbud she'd planted with her grandmother. It had to be there.

The tree was gone, replaced by a mangled stump. She felt an overwhelming desire to be still. To be silent. To simply... disappear. A deep ache resonated within her.

She stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth. She needed to sit, to lean against something. She felt a profound emptiness, a yawning chasm in her chest. The world had gone quiet, and all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.