Gemotions

The ringing phone was a physical shock. He jumped, heart hammering against his ribs. It was his sister. He knew, instinctively, what it was about.

He picked up the phone, and his sister started talking, her voice flowing, explaining what he had to do. He found himself unable to interrupt, the information washing over him in a relentless stream. The details seemed to multiply, creating a fog.

He hung up, his hands shaking. The tasks, the appointments, the deadlines... they were piling up, each one a tiny brick in a wall that was slowly, but surely, collapsing around him. He felt pinned down, unable to move, unable to breathe.