Gemotions

The phone call crackled with static, the voice on the other end, her brother, was barely intelligible. But the gist was clear. “They’re tearing it down, Maya,” he’d said. “The old place. This week.”

She dropped her phone, the plastic clattering against the wooden floor. She stared at the floral wallpaper in her living room, her eyes wide. It felt surreal, as if the ground beneath her feet was about to give way. The walls of her own apartment seemed suddenly flimsy, insubstantial.

A single tear traced a path down her cheek, leaving a cool trail. She picked up the phone again, her fingers fumbling with the buttons. "I... I need to go," she managed to stammer, her voice thick with emotion.