Gemotions

The paper crackled in Amelia’s hand, the sharp edges of the eviction notice practically slicing into her skin. Her apartment door swung open, a gust of wind making the notice flap. She slammed it shut, her heart leaping. She peered through the peephole, scanning the hallway, the stale air thick with the scent of boiled cabbage and unspoken tension.

She moved quickly, double-bolting the lock, then wedging a heavy oak chair beneath the doorknob. Every creak in the building, every rustle of the leaves outside her window, sent a jolt of alarm through her. She felt like a trapped animal, every sense amplified.

She began to pace her cramped living room, her eyes darting between the windows and the front door. The rhythmic thump of her neighbor’s bass drum felt like a relentless threat, a countdown. She grabbed her phone, her fingers fumbling with the keys as she scrolled through her contacts, a cold dread clinging to her like a damp shroud.