Gemotions

"Fifteen years... Wow," Olivia muttered, rereading the invitation. A strange tingling sensation began in her fingers, spreading up her arms. She reached for the remote and turned on the television, then immediately flipped through channels. She couldn't focus.

She pictured herself back in those hallways, a teenager again, vulnerable and uncertain. The past seemed to loom before her, an imposing presence. Her breath shortened, and her throat constricted.

She needed air. Stepping outside, she started walking. The familiar streets of her old neighborhood, once comforting, now felt alien, each house a potential stage for judgment.