Gemotions

The silence of the house was broken by the sharp click of the automatic garage door opener. Maria had a doctor’s appointment and was now late. Her car was not there. Panic tightened her chest.

She blinked rapidly, as if the sudden absence of her vehicle was a hallucination. Her mind raced, a frantic whir of possibilities. She spun around, taking in the interior of the garage, as if a clue would appear from thin air.

Her breath came in shallow, rapid pants. She grabbed her purse, her fingers clumsy and unresponsive as she tried to find her car keys, as if the physical act of touching them would somehow make things right.