Gemotions

The email arrived with a polite, impersonal subject line: "Northwood High - 10 Year Reunion." Emily slammed her laptop shut, the abrupt action echoing in the otherwise silent room. She couldn't breathe. Her hands flew to her mouth, as if to physically prevent the scream that threatened to erupt.

The air felt thick, heavy, as though the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. She began pacing, her steps quick and agitated, like a caged animal. Every memory, every awkward encounter, every humiliation from her teenage years flooded back.

She wanted to call her mother, to run and hide, to disappear entirely. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape route, a way out of this sudden, overwhelming sense of dread. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.