Gemotions

The weight of the laundry basket felt symbolic. Sarah hauled it up the stairs, each step a further descent into despair. The floral wallpaper in the hallway, once a comfort, now seemed to mock her with its cheerful patterns. She hadn’t even bothered to unpack her things, her boxes still piled in the corner of her room, a monument to her stalled life.

She ran her hand along the dusty surface of the banister. She was a grown woman, and here she was, back in her childhood home. She felt the hollow ache in her chest. She had promised herself she'd be something, someone. But the promise remained unfulfilled.

She finally reached her childhood bedroom, and the thought was almost physically painful. She dumped the clothes in the wash. She just wanted to disappear.