Gemotions

The librarian gave a sympathetic smile. "They picked yours for the exhibit, you know." Emily just nodded, her throat constricted. A display case. Her essay, the one about her struggles with body image, framed and illuminated for all to see.

Her stomach churned. She felt exposed, vulnerable. She’d thought she’d moved past some of those feelings. Now, they were front and center, a permanent fixture in the campus library. She mumbled an excuse and rushed toward the exit, the familiar scent of old books doing little to soothe her. She needed air, to escape the suffocating presence of her words.