Gemotions

The silence in the house was deafening. The request to take down the maple, voiced so casually by Mrs. Rodriguez, had thrown her into a state of heightened awareness. Everything felt sharp, the light, the sounds, even the textures of the objects around her.

She found herself compulsively checking locks and windows, even though she knew they were secure. She kept re-reading the email from Mrs. Rodriguez, searching for a hidden meaning, a subtle threat.

The world seemed off-kilter. She wandered through the garden, staring at the empty space where the maple would soon stand. A hollow sensation formed in her chest, as if a piece of her own self was about to disappear.