Gemotions

"No," she breathed, the word a mere expulsion of air. The tree, her tree, that she had loved to climb, her secret hideaway, was no more. A cold dread seeped into her bones. She felt a sudden, sharp ache in her chest, a physical manifestation of the empty space where the tree had been.

She stood there, frozen, the world seeming to tilt on its axis. Her hands began to tremble. Her carefully constructed facade of composure crumbled, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. A single tear tracked down her cheek.