Gemotions

The library card felt heavy in her hand. She couldn’t bring herself to go in. The stacks, the hushed whispers, the very air seemed to reek of judgment. Her cheeks burned.

She leaned against the cool brick wall of the building, letting the shadows engulf her. She'd spent hours in this library, researching her paper. Now, every book, every article felt like a potential weapon aimed at her.

She closed her eyes, trying to conjure the energy to face her accusers. Instead, she was assaulted by a series of fragmented images – the professor’s face, the words of the Turnitin report, her own panicked thoughts. She felt like she might shatter.