Gemotions

A cold sweat slicked down Maya's back as she sat in the empty classroom, the essay she'd submitted still visible on the projection screen. The words blurred before her eyes, each sentence a stab of awareness. The silence pressed in on her, amplifying the tremor in her hands.

She picked at a loose thread on her jeans, then quickly pulled her hand back. She felt as though everyone could see her thoughts. The fear was a constant tremor.

Her stomach churned. The professor’s words, echoing in her mind, turned to accusations. She felt a profound sense of wrongness, an internal ache that permeated every thought.