Gemotions

The sterile white walls of the clinic seemed to press in on Emily. She couldn't breathe properly. The air felt thick, cloying. She had been recommended to Dr. Carol Stevens. It wasn’t until she actually arrived that the truth dawned: Carol Stevens, the same Carol Stevens who had made her life hell in middle school.

A dry, metallic taste coated her tongue. The receptionist called her name. The name. The same name that was once spat out with such cruel, casual disdain. Emily hesitated. She imagined the way Carol would smile, the condescending tilt of her head.

Emily wanted to scream, to lash out, to do anything other than sit in that office. She felt the urge to flee, to run away and never return. She pushed herself up and walked to the office.