Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted through the apartment, a futile attempt to invigorate Amelia. She’d been living the same day, every single day, for what felt like an eternity. The predictability of her life made her feel as if she were a caged bird, flapping her wings but never leaving its enclosure. The same office job, the same conversations with the same people, the same mundane dinner with her boyfriend, David.

One evening, after David had left for his writer's group, she found a draft manuscript hidden beneath his laptop. Curiosity quickly consumed her. As she read, a strange combination of emotions flooded through her. The main character, "Amy," was so clearly modeled on her. Each tiny detail, the way she chewed her lip when she was nervous, the way she'd always make tea at the same time every day. It was all laid out, analyzed, and she felt exposed. She felt completely exposed.

The story was of her life, but it was also a condemnation, a portrait of someone who was going nowhere. She felt a profound sense of isolation.