Gemotions

The common room buzzed with the cheerful chaos of a Friday night, but she couldn't find any joy in the music or camaraderie. She sat slumped in a chair, her gaze fixed on the floor, the patterns of the carpet growing increasingly blurry.

A tap on her shoulder. It was Emily, her roommate. She held out the journal, its cover bent. "I... I read it," Emily said quietly, her eyes filled with an unsettling mixture of remorse and understanding.

The words hung in the air, heavy and poisonous. She fought back the urge to scream, the tension building in her chest, making it hard to take a breath. She just wanted to disappear.