Gemotions

She woke with a strange sense of buoyancy, a lift in her spirit that she couldn’t quite place. The air seemed cleaner, the world sharper, the colors more vibrant. She bounced out of bed, eager to tackle the mountain of laundry she'd been putting off. The idea of doing something so mundane brought her an odd sense of comfort.

Then, the glint of sunlight on the edge of her journal, its cover slightly bent, stopped her in her tracks. She slowly walked over, picking it up. A wave of nausea washed over her. Her roommate, Sarah, was humming in the kitchen, making breakfast. The upbeat rhythm felt like a taunt.

"Sarah," she called, her voice trembling. "Did you…did you read my journal?" The morning's lightness had evaporated, replaced by a dense, suffocating weight.