Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights in the dorm hallway seemed to amplify the hum in Amelia's chest. She couldn't focus on the textbook spread open before her; the words swam on the page, the sentences blurring together. She slammed it shut, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent space. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple. She hadn't been able to sit still for an hour.

She needed air, she decided, yanking open her door. The cool night air hit her face as she stepped outside. She began pacing, back and forth, the gravel crunching beneath her sneakers. A news alert had flashed across her phone earlier: the college was shutting down. Her stomach twisted at the thought. What now?

She looked up at the moon, its pale light doing little to calm the chaotic thoughts swarming in her head. She had to *do* something. Anything.