Gemotions

The phone vibrated insistently against Amelia's thigh as she stepped out of her front door. She ignored it. It was probably her mother, fretting about something. She needed silence, a moment's peace before the onslaught of the day. But then, the absence of her familiar blue sedan registered. A cold dread seeped through her.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence. Her vision narrowed, focusing only on the empty space. "This can't be happening," she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. The air felt thick, heavy, suffocating. She reached for her phone, her fingers numb.