Gemotions

A tremor started in Clara’s hands, so slight at first she almost dismissed it as a trick of the light. Then the teacup rattled against its saucer. Across the kitchen table, her sister, beaming, continued explaining the tenets of her new faith. Clara focused on her breathing, shallow and rapid, trying to calm the sudden, insistent thrumming in her chest. She needed to say something, anything, but her throat felt constricted, a tight band preventing words from forming. The floral wallpaper swam before her eyes.