Gemotions

The cold wind whipped at her coat as she hurried into the warm bookstore. Her hands were numb. She felt like she was constantly on the precipice of something terrible happening. She searched for something to numb the feeling inside, and picked a well-worn copy of *Wuthering Heights*.

When she opened the book, a small, dried leaf tumbled out. It was a single, perfect maple leaf, its edges curled and brown with age. Tucked beneath it, a tiny scrap of paper, bearing a single, hand-drawn heart. She clenched her jaw, her gaze fixed on the symbol of love, which was so far removed from her own reality. The leaf crumbled in her grasp.