Gemotions

The casual conversation about childhood memories felt like a personal attack. Mark was recounting his summers at Camp Serenity, a place Sarah had tried to leave behind. He felt a creeping dread, a slow, suffocating fear that was hard to shake.

“Camp Serenity was amazing! Remember the talent shows?” Mark exclaimed, laughing.

Sarah felt her hands clench. Her breath quickened. The memories flooded back: the stifling heat, the suffocating silence of the cabins at night, the things she didn't want to think about.

She pushed back from her desk, the sudden movement causing her chair to scrape across the floor. "I-I need to get some air," she stammered, her voice tight. She left, her heart pounding against her ribs.

She stood outside, the office building seeming to loom over her. The crisp air did little to calm the turmoil raging inside her. The sun felt too bright, the sky too vast. She felt a growing, desperate need to escape.