Gemotions

The world felt distant, muted. I blinked slowly, trying to bring the words on the screen into focus. Sarah was my name, and the words on the screen told me I had failed. The news had drained me of all energy. The apartment I shared with four others suddenly felt too small, too loud.

My shoulders slumped. My breathing became shallow and slow. I couldn't focus. The thought of facing another semester, another round of classes and bills, was a vast, sprawling emptiness.

I knew I needed to eat, but the thought of getting up, of moving, was a monumental task. I just wanted to be somewhere quiet. I needed to escape.