Gemotions

The notification pinged, and Chloe jumped, a small shriek escaping her lips. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the library. She stared at the screen, her eyes wide, unblinking, fixed on the single line of text. The blood drained from her face, leaving her feeling lightheaded and dizzy. *It's fine*, she told herself, but the thought was a brittle lie, shattering the moment it formed. She needed air, needed to be *gone*. She scrambled to gather her things, the rustle of paper and the scrape of her chair seeming deafeningly loud in the quiet room.