Gemotions

The email shimmered on the screen, a malicious little snake of pixels. Elias stared at it, the words of the article blurring. His breath hitched in his chest, a ragged, uneven rhythm. He felt a sudden, fierce heat bloom in his face, prickling his skin. He slammed his hand down on the desk, the impact reverberating through his arm. *Impossible,* he thought, the word a frantic whisper in his mind. He scrambled for his phone, his fingers clumsy as he fumbled for the number. A shaky sob escaped him.

He paced the length of his tiny apartment, the linoleum floor cold against his bare feet. The phone rang, and rang, and rang. Each unanswered ring was a hammer blow against his composure. He picked up a framed picture of himself with the author, grinning. He flung it across the room. The glass shattered, the sound oddly satisfying.

He needed air, he realized. He yanked open the window, gulping down the late afternoon breeze. The world outside, the vibrant green of the park across the street, seemed ridiculously normal. He wanted to scream.