Gemotions

"I need to breathe," Sarah muttered, backing away from the house. She’d come seeking something, some kind of resolution, but the visit was already proving more difficult than she imagined. The air felt thick, heavy with unspoken things.

The small maple, which she had planted for her sister years ago, was gone. Its absence was a shock. Sarah stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the empty space. Her throat constricted.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She wanted something, anything, to change the relentless monotony that characterized her present. She felt the sting of tears, not from sadness, but from a frustration she couldn’t quite place.