Gemotions

The small, leather-bound journal felt heavy in Mrs. Chen's hands. It was from her student, Sophia, the one who had spent more time doodling in class than listening. Sophia, who had openly mocked the importance of “proper grammar.”

She flipped it open, the pages blank. The inscription read "For all the words I refused to write." She slammed the journal shut. She would not fill it with her own thoughts. She would not acknowledge the quiet, subtle guilt that gnawed at her. The journal would be kept on the top shelf, where it would gather dust.