Gemotions

The cheerful chime of her email notification felt like a death knell. Emma stared at the screen, her world tilting on its axis. She reread the message, the words twisting in her gut. She felt a chill spread through her body, despite the warmth of the summer day.

She closed her laptop with a snap, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. She got up from her desk, the chair scraping against the floor. She needed to move, to do something, anything to distract herself from the cascade of worry.

She walked out the front door, the sunlight feeling blinding. She began to walk, aimlessly, as though she could outrun her fear.