Gemotions

The cardboard box sat on the doorstep, a smudge of rain darkening its surface. Sarah stared at it, the evening light already beginning to fade. Another one. She sighed, the sound catching in her throat like a knot. The damn things never stopped. For months now, packages addressed to "Mr. Henderson" had been piling up. Each one a fresh reminder of the life she hadn't quite claimed in this new apartment.

She bent, her back protesting, and dragged the box inside. The cheap linoleum felt cold under her bare feet. The apartment itself was dim, the overhead light buzzing ominously. She ripped it open with a fingernail, not bothering with a knife. Inside, nestled in packing peanuts, was a book. The cover depicted a smiling couple on a beach. She slammed the box shut and left it in the hallway.