Gemotions

The blinking cursor on the laptop screen seemed to mock Amelia. Her breath hitched in her throat, a choked sound lost in the sudden silence of her apartment. She’d been staring at the online article for what felt like hours, the title still screaming at her: “Local Author’s Diary Leaks Online.” Her name followed, a stark declaration.

She reached for the glass of water on her desk, her hand trembling so badly she nearly knocked it over. Each click of the mouse seemed amplified, each pixel of the digital page a cruel accusation. The diary entries, her rawest thoughts and fears from fifteen years old, were there for the world to scrutinize.

Her apartment felt too small, the walls closing in. She shoved back her chair, the scraping sound making her jump. A wave of nausea churned in her stomach. She needed to be somewhere else. Anywhere else.