Gemotions

The email arrived, the subject line a deceptively innocent "Hello." Inside, a brief message: "Hey, it's David Carter. Remember me?" Her hands shook so hard she almost dropped her tablet. She sat very still, staring at the message as though it were a venomous snake. Her stomach churned, a cold knot forming in her gut.

She pictured him, his arrogant posture, his mocking eyes. She felt the phantom sting of his insults, the shame, the helplessness. She ran her fingers through her hair, tangling it. The space around her seemed to shrink, the walls closing in.

She scrambled to her feet, pacing her small office. She needed to do something, anything, to break free from this paralyzing fear. Deleting the email felt insignificant, a drop in the ocean. She considered blocking him, but that seemed too weak, too passive. She wanted to scream, to shatter the silence.