Gemotions

The dog started barking, a high-pitched, frantic yelp that echoed the turmoil inside. Jessica felt the knot tighten in her stomach. Every nail gun blast, every crash and clang, was a stab of pain. She had just found out she had to move. Her landlord had just informed her of the renovations planned for the building.

She tried to focus on packing, but her hands trembled, and she kept dropping things. Her carefully curated life was about to be dismantled. The constant noise was a physical manifestation of her fear and uncertainty. She felt as though she was crumbling.

She looked around the apartment, at the few possessions that meant everything to her, that would soon be packed away. Where would she go? How would she start again? The hammering felt like a relentless warning.