Gemotions

The laughter, once a source of comfort, now grated on her nerves. Across the country – the words bounced around in her head like a painful refrain. She felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to flee, to escape the cheerful pronouncements, the excited preparations.

Her palms began to sweat as she watched her friend pack a suitcase. Every item placed inside was another nail in the coffin of their friendship. She wanted to yell, to demand an explanation, to beg for a stay.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in. She imagined the emptiness, the aching void that was about to be created. A sense of profound loss, a crushing weight, pressed against her chest, making it hard to breathe.