Gemotions

The clatter of the tow truck’s hook against the bumper of her beloved Beetle was the last straw. Chloe watched, mouth agape, as her car was hoisted into the air. She’d been so careful, so diligent, yet it was all for naught.

She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to shield herself from the cold. The air felt thin, her breath shallow. The neighborhood, usually comforting, now seemed to mock her.

She felt a deep sense of wrongness, of being robbed of something precious. This was a violation, an assault on her already fragile sense of security. The world felt dangerous, full of unseen forces, capable of taking everything away.