Gemotions

The stale air of the library did nothing to invigorate Amelia. She sat hunched over a textbook, the words swimming before her eyes. English Literature. The words were a meaningless jumble. She'd been pretending to study, but the words did not register in her brain. She had been staring at the same page for nearly an hour. The book felt like an immense weight.

The news about the team cut had been a shock, even though she knew it was coming. The pain of it lay like an icy hand on her chest. All her plans, her dreams, crumbled with the coach’s words. She closed the book with a resounding thud.

She felt a strange disconnect from her body, as if it were a poorly constructed puppet. She had no energy. Even breathing seemed like an effort. She needed something to stop the thoughts, anything.