Gemotions

The screen flickered, displaying the stark truth: "Likely of Sub-Saharan African heritage." Her carefully constructed world, built on years of a different identity, began to crumble. Her breath caught in her chest, a painful constriction that wouldn't release.

She stood frozen in place, the computer screen reflecting her own stunned expression back at her. The wallpaper in her room seemed to shift, the pattern blurring and distorting. Her throat felt tight, and she had to swallow hard to keep back the rising tide of panic. The entire foundation of her existence was suddenly a lie.

She felt a desperate need to rip off her skin and become someone else. She wanted to claw at her face, tear at the roots of her hair. She ran to the bathroom, throwing up in the toilet, her stomach rejecting the very food she'd consumed.