Gemotions

He stared at the screen, every muscle in his body rigid. The message was simple, almost innocuous. He’d meant to ask his friend for a favor. But it had gone to the person he was trying to avoid, the one from the disastrous business deal. He felt a wave of icy paralysis.

His breath caught in his throat. He pictured their response, the curt dismissal, the icy indifference. He felt a profound sense of vulnerability, like a small boat caught in a violent storm.

He sank back in his chair, the world around him blurring. The room began to spin. He needed air, but it felt as though the very oxygen was being stolen away.