Gemotions

The office felt too bright, the fluorescent lights humming a relentless, irritating tune. Evelyn kept her gaze fixed on her computer screen, the words on the page blurring. She couldn't focus on the spreadsheet in front of her. Her diary, her *secret* diary, was being mocked online.

She felt a tightening in her chest, a prickling sensation that traveled all the way down to her toes. Her co-workers’ casual chatter grated on her nerves. She wanted to scream at them, to demand they stop their cheerful, oblivious conversations.

She excused herself from the meeting, claiming a headache. In the restroom, she splashed cold water on her face, trying to compose herself. The reflection in the mirror seemed foreign, the eyes wide and vulnerable.