Gemotions

She chewed on her thumbnail, the taste bitter and metallic. Her essay, immortalized. A wave of heat washed over her face. She felt a profound need to run, to escape the confines of her own skin. She’d always been a private person, and the thought of her innermost thoughts being read by strangers… felt intrusive.

She glanced at her reflection in the window. Pale skin, dark circles under her eyes. The image looked foreign, a stranger. She picked up a book, attempting to distract herself, but the words blurred. The essay’s subject matter, the vulnerability she’d displayed. It all suddenly felt intensely embarrassing.

She paced the length of her tiny bedroom. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being exposed, judged. She’d built herself up, crafted a persona, and now, it seemed, everyone would be able to see the cracks.