Gemotions

The spreadsheets swam before Sophia's eyes, the numbers seeming to mock her with their complexity. She felt a cold dread creep into her bones, the weight of the uncompleted project bearing down on her. Her breath hitched in her chest; she needed to get away, she needed to think, she needed an escape.

"Sophia, are you alright?" asked Kevin, her coworker. His tone was casual, his smile wide. He was standing near her desk, a small stack of papers in his hands.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice tight, unable to hold eye contact. She couldn’t stand people seeing her like this.

"Wow, you wouldn't believe it, I just heard about Camp Redwood. Did you ever go there, back in the day?" He paused, waiting for an answer.

Sophia's face drained of colour. Camp Redwood, the place where she'd lost her prized possession. The memory surfaced, sharp and unwanted, triggering a fresh wave of panic.

"Oh, uh, vaguely," she replied, struggling to keep her voice steady. She wanted to disappear.