Gemotions

The air in the library felt stagnant, thick with the scent of old paper and forgotten dreams. Sophie’s fingers trembled as she held the list, her mother's elegant script a painful reminder of what she had lost. Each item on the page felt like a judgment, a challenge. *Write a book of poetry.* She felt a wave of nausea sweep over her.

Her breaths came in shallow gasps, her chest tight with a sudden panic. She pushed herself up from the chair and began to walk, but the confines of the room seemed to press in on her, making the walls close in. *Travel the world.* The thought of leaving everything behind sent another wave of terror through her, making her heart pound against her ribs.