Gemotions

The librarian shushed him, and the sound echoed in the silent reading room, amplifying her anxiety. He felt heat rising, a flush of shame, even though he'd done nothing wrong. The dust motes dancing in the sunbeams were somehow threatening. *Extremely rare. Unpredictable symptoms*.

He flipped through the medical journal again, his fingers tracing the diagrams of the anomaly. He couldn't concentrate. Every page seemed to whisper the same warning. *You’re the only one*. He shut the book with a snap, the sound reverberating in the silence.

He needed to be away from other people, out of view. He felt exposed, vulnerable. He quickly gathered his belongings and left, trying not to make eye contact with the other readers. The world was too aware.