Gemotions

Maya gripped the worn wooden table so tightly that her knuckles were white. The air felt thick, difficult to draw into her lungs. The sight of her journal, now out in the open, confirmed her suspicions. The door had been opened when she was out. Her roommate, Chloe, had clearly been snooping. She felt the blood drain from her face.

Chloe was humming, pretending to study her textbook. Maya's gaze darted around the room, trying to find an escape route. The walls seemed to be closing in. She felt a cold dread wrapping around her, a slow, icy constriction. She couldn't speak, could barely breathe, a sense of panic washing over her.