Gemotions

The email sat unopened in the inbox, mocking her. Clara chewed on her thumbnail, the familiar sting of anxiety blooming in her chest. She had a presentation to prepare for tomorrow, a crucial one that could land her the promotion she desperately wanted. Yet, her mind was fixated on another, far more trivial issue: the hamster, Hammy, that her roommate, Ben, wanted.

Ben had already purchased the cage, the wheel, the little water bottle. The thought of a tiny creature trapped in a glass prison, a constant reminder of Ben's victory, sent a shiver down her spine. Clara felt a strange, suffocating pressure in her chest, as if the very air was thinning.

She clicked the send button on the presentation email. Then, she promptly closed her laptop. She needed to breathe.