Gemotions

The phone vibrated insistently in Maya’s purse. Another missed call from her boss. She ignored it. The world kept moving, demanding, expecting. She sank deeper into the park bench, the cold seeping through her coat. She wanted to scream, to lash out at the injustice of it all. This was so unfair.

Across the park, she saw a woman stumble, clutching her chest, before slowly righting herself. Maya stiffened. The woman seemed familiar. She watched her, frozen. It was the same telltale sign she often struggled against.