Gemotions

The notice lay on the table, a stark white rectangle in the dim light. Its presence was a physical weight on Clara’s chest. She felt a burning sensation in her throat, a need to swallow, to clear the obstruction.

She felt a sudden, urgent need to clean. She began to sweep the floor with frantic energy, scattering dust and debris. She then opened all the windows, letting the cold air rush in.

She could barely see, the tears beginning to well up in her eyes, but she continued to scrub, to polish, as if she could somehow scrub away her current circumstances.