Gemotions

The knot in her stomach tightened with every passing hour. Every challenge, every small failure, felt like a crushing blow. She found herself in the used bookstore, seeking a place to hide. She reached for a book on her favorite author.

As she opened the book, a pressed leaf, a maple, tumbled out. She picked it up. A small, carefully folded origami crane was nestled amongst the leaves.

Her chest constricted. Who would take the time to create such a thing? The silence of the bookstore felt suddenly oppressive. She didn’t know how to create anything like that. The book felt like a reminder of everything she couldn't accomplish. She dropped it and fled.