Gemotions

The attic’s stale air thickened with the scent of lavender potpourri. Maria found the letter tucked between the pages of a beloved novel. The words within, written in her own youthful script, were about dreams and hopes, about the vibrant city she had once yearned to conquer.

She ran a hand over her chest, trying to ease the sudden constriction. She glanced around the quiet suburban home, the meticulously curated garden. She felt a growing unease, an unsettling stillness.

She folded the letter, a knot forming in her stomach. The weight of her surroundings seemed to bear down on her. Her vision blurred, and the world seemed to tilt.