Gemotions

A tremor ran through Amelia as she stared at the notification. Mark Henderson. Childhood bully. Her fingers fumbled with the mouse, nearly clicking the accept button. Her pulse spiked. It felt like her heart was trying to escape her chest. She needed to breathe, but her lungs felt locked. She sat frozen, the cursor hovering, a silent plea of 'no' echoing in the hollows of her mind.

A cold sweat slicked her palms. She swiped the notification away. Ignoring it felt like a small victory. But the image of his face, slightly older, yet still bearing that infuriating smirk, burned itself into her memory. She took a shaky breath and leaned back in her chair. The room suddenly felt smaller, the walls closing in.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, trying to ignore the way her hands were shaking. Every few seconds, she'd glance over at her phone, as if expecting the notification to reappear and haunt her all over again.