Gemotions

"This can't be right," Mark said, his voice a strained whisper as he gazed at the empty plot of land. His palms felt clammy, and he wiped them on his jeans. He hadn’t expected this.

He looked around for some clue, some sign of the towering redwood. There was nothing. His heart hammered in his chest, a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, as if hoping the scene would change. The emptiness remained, a gaping wound in his memories. He felt a deep, unsettling tremor run through his body.