Gemotions

The news felt like a punch to the gut. Laura sat at her desk, the computer screen blurring before her. She felt like she was underwater, everything muffled and distorted. She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision, but the feeling persisted.

She reached for her phone, intending to call her husband, but her hand stalled. The words wouldn’t come. The very air seemed to press down on her. The hum of the office machinery, normally a background noise, now grated on her nerves.

Laura closed her eyes, trying to breathe deeply, but the air felt thin and unsatisfying. A chilling feeling crawled up her spine. She wished to be anywhere else.