Gemotions

"Another round?" the bartender asked, his voice a low rumble. Chloe waved him off, pushing her drink away from her. The bar, usually a haven, felt stifling tonight, the music and chatter a discordant symphony. She felt like she was buzzing, like an exposed wire, ready to snap at any moment.

The scholarship had offered a lifeline, a chance to escape her old life. Now, the escape felt hollow, the chance lost. The emails, the calls, were going to come eventually. The question was when.

She stood up, pulling her jacket tighter around her. The familiar weight of her bag felt like a tether. She needed to walk, to wander aimlessly, to outrun the inevitable.