Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the bakery, but David couldn’t taste it. He’d gone there for comfort, for the simple pleasure of a morning pastry, but his appetite had vanished.

He had been checking his email, a routine he'd performed countless times before, but today was different. There it was, the official notice, a simple link to a featured essay. His. He had known, of course, that it was a possibility. But that didn't help.

He felt a buzzing, a pressure in his skull. The words, his words, seemed to echo in his mind. He paid for his croissant, barely making eye contact with the baker. He just had to get out, he thought.