Gemotions

The scent of old paper usually comforted Evelyn. Today, it was another source of torment. She'd been on the lookout for a copy of *Alice in Wonderland* to read to her niece, but now, the world was spinning.

A small, meticulously folded note spilled out of the book.

The letter contained a secret plea for help, a cry for salvation, and a desperate hope for a new beginning. Evelyn's face flushed. The writer confessed to feeling hopeless, lost, and afraid. Evelyn had been feeling that way, too.

She couldn't look anyone in the eye. She quickly slipped the book back on the shelf. She suddenly felt the need to apologize to everyone she'd ever met. She hurried out of the store. The world seemed to be closing in around her.