Gemotions

The flickering screen illuminated Amelia’s face, casting dancing shadows across the room. Her breath hitched, a thin, shallow thing, as she scrolled through the comments. Each one, a tiny needle prick, pricking at the fragile bubble of her composure.

She slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the sudden silence. Her hands trembled as she fumbled for a glass of water, the icy liquid sloshing over the rim and down her fingers. The taste, normally refreshing, was metallic and bitter now.

A memory, unwelcome and vivid, of the diary itself surfaced. The worn, leather-bound book, tucked away under her bed. Now, its secrets, her vulnerabilities, were laid bare for the world. She hugged her knees, feeling a cold, creeping ache in her chest.