Gemotions

The email notification popped up, the subject line a brutal punch to the gut: "Your Teenage Diary - Now Available Online!" Her mouth dropped open, silent. She stared at the message, unable to process the words. Her gaze flicked to her hands, which, in that moment, she didn’t recognize.

She swiveled in her chair, a slow, deliberate movement. Her brain felt like thick, sluggish syrup. She thought she should scream, shout, maybe cry, but nothing came.

Her fingers traced the outline of the desk, the polished wood surprisingly cool beneath her fingertips. She noticed dust motes dancing in the sunlight, a detail she’d never registered before. She focused on the little details, anything to avoid the inevitable.