Gemotions

"We sincerely apologize..." The speaker’s voice was mechanical, offering no comfort. Maya gripped the armrests of her chair, her knuckles white. Her grandmother's birthday party. She had meticulously planned every detail, a special cake, a family reunion. The thought of disappointing everyone brought a sharp pain to her chest.

She felt a wave of nausea. The air in the terminal seemed thick, stale. She wished she had never left her home. She looked at the other passengers, their faces reflecting her own disquiet, a shared sense of helplessness.

She stared blankly at a nearby newsstand, the headlines blurring into meaningless shapes. The world around her felt distorted, shifting.