Gemotions

The phone rang, shattering the quiet. I let it go to voicemail. I stared at the ceiling, the light fixture a meaningless object. The days blurred together, marked only by the slow, inexorable march of time. I felt a profound sense of inertia, unable to find the energy to do anything.

A friend had sent me a recommendation for a therapist. The name on the email: "Dr. Jessica Baker." My blood ran cold. Jessica Baker. She was the one who spread that rumor in middle school. The one who'd orchestrated a series of relentless pranks.

I deleted the email, then immediately retrieved it. The thought of her, now helping people, seemed absurd. Yet, a strange feeling of anticipation, mingled with dread, took hold. I picked up my phone, hesitantly scrolled through my contacts.