Gemotions

The campus library, normally a sanctuary of focus, felt oppressively quiet. Emily wandered the aisles, the Dewey Decimal system a meaningless jumble of numbers. She had received a C+ on her history paper. Her stomach churned. A feeling of disappointment, of futility, washed over her.

She pulled out a random book, scanned the cover, and then put it back. The words on the page blurred. She leaned against a bookshelf. The weight of the world pressed down on her shoulders.

Her friends had asked her to go grab some food, and she had just mumbled something about having a lot of studying to do. The thought of eating felt like an obstacle. She thought about going back to her dorm, climbing into bed, and just closing her eyes.