Gemotions

"Oh, no," whispered Chloe, her voice barely audible. The app's announcement was a digital jab to her stomach. ‘MoonGazer’, her closest online friend, was in her city. Her fingers trembled as she reread the notification, a sense of disbelief and dread washing over her.

She quickly shut down her laptop, the screen going black, the emptiness of the void mirroring the one in her own stomach. Every shadow in her house seemed to move. Her heart raced, its rhythm accelerating in her chest. She had the impulse to hide under the bed, but she resisted the urge.

Chloe paced the length of her tiny apartment. The friendly chats, the shared memes, the late-night confessions… everything felt different now. She glanced out the window, looking at the street below, imagining MoonGazer walking down the same sidewalk. That thought was enough to make her gasp.