Gemotions

Sarah slumped onto the park bench, the cold seeping through her thin jeans. It was a beautiful day, the kind that usually lifted her spirits, but today the chirping birds felt like a mocking chorus. She had just seen the journal – her article, her words, attributed to someone else. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.

Her shoulders hunched, a posture she typically avoided. She’d put so much of herself into that piece, her heart and soul poured onto the pages. Now, it was like a part of her had been stolen. She closed her eyes, the bright sunlight no longer welcome.

A small child ran past, giggling. Sarah flinched, the sound grating on her ears. Even the simple joys of the world seemed distant, untouchable.