Gemotions

The notification popped up on her phone, a stark red alert. A wave of nausea surged through her, and she had to grip the table to steady herself. Her heart was in her throat, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. She reread the email, each word a hammer blow against her already fragile composure.

She was alone in her dorm room, the walls closing in. The colorful posters and photographs that usually brought her comfort now seemed to mock her. She felt exposed, vulnerable, stripped of her defenses.

The sound of her own ragged breaths filled the silence.