Gemotions

The anticipation in the room felt palpable. Emily’s throat tightened, constricting her breathing. She clutched the podium like a lifeline. She felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to flee. Her carefully crafted speech might as well have been written in a foreign language.

Her thoughts raced, a jumbled mess of memories and anxieties. The faces of the guests swam before her eyes. Every sound seemed amplified, the gentle clinking of silverware, the murmur of the crowd.

She opened her mouth, but only a small, strangled sound escaped. “I…” she choked out, then fell silent.