Gemotions

He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the stucco a blur above him. The revelation had stolen his appetite, his ambition, and his peace of mind. Every breath felt like a strain, a reminder of the emptiness that had settled in his chest.

Finding his journal in his roommate’s possession had been a shock. He had trusted, he had confided, and now his privacy had been violated. Every thought was shadowed by the transgression.

He heard his roommate, Sam, moving around the room. He felt a wave of nausea. He closed his eyes, imagining the words he had written being read, analyzed, judged. The thought was unbearable.