Gemotions

The flyer was crumpled in the wastebasket, but the words echoed in her head. She spent the entire day fighting back the urge to lash out. At work, her colleagues' casual chatter grated on her nerves. At the grocery store, she almost knocked over a display of overpriced avocados.

She took a long, hot shower, hoping to wash away the feeling of being trapped. But the water only seemed to amplify her frustration. She pictured the new owners, the sleek designs, the vacant smiles.

Her phone buzzed. A text from her best friend, suggesting dinner. She deleted it, the thought of social interaction exhausting. She wanted to be alone, to brood, to fester in her quiet unhappiness.