Gemotions

The news felt like a physical blow to Emily. Her heart pounded in her chest, a relentless drumbeat against her ribs. She couldn't seem to get enough air; her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. The room tilted slightly, as if the floor beneath her was shifting.

Her gaze zeroed in on the coffee cup on her desk, the ceramic surface suddenly alien and remote. She clutched at the edge of the desk, her knuckles white, her body frozen. Images of looming bills flashed through her mind.

A voice, high and thin, escaped her lips: “I… I don’t understand.” The words, so small, so insignificant, against the immensity of the situation. She slowly got up and left the office and walked down the street towards a park.