Gemotions

The announcement crackled over the loudspeaker in the library, slicing through the usual quiet. Sarah froze mid-sentence as she was trying to help a friend with her research, her eyes widening. The words, echoing through the hushed room, felt like a physical blow. Her world contracted.

Her pen slipped from her grasp, rolling across the table and clattering onto the floor. The noise, normally a minor annoyance, now grated on her nerves. Her fingers went numb. The library, usually a haven, felt like a cage, the books suddenly irrelevant, the air thick and heavy.

“Oh my god,” she breathed, the words catching in her throat. She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.