Gemotions

The email notification had arrived at precisely 3:00 AM, jolting Elena awake. She’d stared at the screen for a long time, the glow illuminating the dark circles under her eyes. The subject line: “Your Childhood Home - Now For Sale!” A cold dread spread through her, freezing her in place.

She hadn't thought about the house in years, or so she told herself. Yet, here it was, a digital ghost beckoning her back to a past she’d fought so hard to bury. She clicked the link, her fingers numb.

The virtual tour unfolded, a slow-motion car crash of memories. The crack in the dining room ceiling, the faded wallpaper in her sister's room, the ghostly outline of where her father’s recliner used to be. Each image was a fresh wound, a reminder of what she had lost. The air seemed to thin, making it difficult to breathe.

She crawled back into bed, pulling the covers over her head, as if she could hide from the ghosts of her past. She lay there, rigid and silent, the digital images seared onto her retinas.