Gemotions

He’d driven three hours, fueled by a strange compulsion he couldn't name. Now, staring at the empty space, a coldness spread through him, chilling him to the core. A low, keening sound escaped his lips, a sound he hadn't known he could make.

His hands shook as he reached for his phone, fumbling to dial. The screen blurred. He dropped it. The metallic clatter against the gravel seemed impossibly loud. He bent to retrieve it, his movements jerky, unnatural.

The absence of the tree, the abrupt end to its leafy existence, felt like a physical blow. He stumbled backward, his vision narrowing, the familiar world twisting and distorting around him. His chest constricted, as if a great weight had settled upon it.