Gemotions

The phone call was the final blow. Her mother’s voice, normally warm and reassuring, was laced with forced cheerfulness. Emily clutched the receiver, her knuckles white. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady.

Her throat felt constricted, making it difficult to speak. Her apartment, once a sanctuary, now felt suffocating. She paced the small room, her steps quick and agitated. The floorboards creaked under her weight, each sound amplifying the rising dread inside her.