Gemotions

The world swam in a haze of red. Amelia reread the email, each word a fresh insult. She slapped the laptop shut, the metallic sound sharp and decisive. Her pulse hammered in her ears, a furious drumbeat against her skull.

She stood up abruptly, pacing the cramped kitchen. She nearly knocked over a stack of plates, catching them just in time. The near miss only intensified her irritation.

"This is a joke, right?" she spat out, her voice laced with venom. She wanted to scream, to lash out, to break something. The unfairness of it all was a physical pressure, squeezing the air from her lungs.