Gemotions

The email notification on Ben's phone vibrated violently, a shrill buzz that cut through the quiet of the library. He shoved the phone in his pocket. *Not now, not here.* He tried to focus on the book in front of him, the words blurring on the page. His pulse hammered in his ears. He tapped his pen furiously against the worn wooden table, a rhythmic, impatient tattoo. He couldn't shake the feeling of being completely inadequate, of having wasted so much time. He decided to leave the library, he couldn't stand the quiet anymore.