Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, now felt cloying and irritating to Clara. She stared out the window of her favorite cafe, Cafe Luna, her fingers tracing the outline of her coffee cup. The cafe’s sign hung crookedly, a sad reflection of the announcement plastered on the door.

She’d seen the note earlier, but refused to believe it. It couldn't be true, the place where she spent every Saturday afternoon. Now, it was. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a mixture of sadness and frustration.

She took a shaky sip of her coffee, the bitterness doing little to soothe the knot in her stomach. She felt a sudden urge to flee.