Gemotions

The coffee mug slipped in Maya’s suddenly slick hands, splattering lukewarm liquid across the kitchen counter. Her eyes, wide and unblinking, were glued to the laptop screen. It was *her* diary, her childish scrawl, the awful drawings she’d sketched in the margins. It was all there, online, for anyone to read. She felt a strange buzzing in her ears.

She swiped a hand across her forehead, smearing coffee. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in. A wave of nausea rolled over her. She knew she should call someone, but her fingers refused to obey her.

She backed away from the counter, bumping into the table. Her breath hitched. The words on the screen blurred, then sharpened, each one a tiny pinprick against her composure. A cold dread seeped into her bones.