Gemotions

The crash jolted Amelia from her listless state. The tree! She'd always admired that magnificent maple, even though it shaded her sun-drenched deck. Now it was a fallen giant, a fractured monument.

She watched the flurry of activity next door, her neighbor, Mr. Henderson, already assessing the damage with a grim expression. Amelia, however, felt a strange detachment, a dull ache that settled in her chest. She should feel sympathy, concern, something. But all she felt was a profound sense of inertia.

She went back inside, avoiding eye contact with Mr. Henderson, whose property it was. She wandered into the kitchen, opening the fridge and then closing it, the food inside suddenly unappealing. She moved into the living room and back again, not finding a single thing to satisfy her. Amelia felt a subtle pressure, like the air had been sucked out of her.