Gemotions

The world seemed to shrink around me. I sank into the chair, the print shop floor felt unsteady beneath me. My name, plastered in bold letters across the cover, felt like an accusation. I could feel my face burning. I wanted to tear it all to shreds, to disappear the story, to make the whole thing a bad dream.

It was all too much. I could feel the tension, a tight band around my chest. Each breath was an effort. My vision blurred, and the sounds of the printing press faded, becoming a dull roar. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to pulse, mocking me.

I gripped the chair, my knuckles white. I wanted to escape, but I didn't know where to go. The very air had gone dense and heavy.