Gemotions

The email notification popped up on her phone, another cheerful message from the party organizer. “Apologies, due to unforeseen circumstances…” She deleted it without reading the rest. The vibrant colors of the screen, the cheerful emojis, all seemed sickeningly bright.

She sat on her bed, a deep ache in her chest. She had been looking forward to this for weeks, the anticipation building to a fever pitch. Now, a blackness had descended, clouding everything. She felt deflated, as if all the air had been let out of her.

She pulled the covers up over her head, shutting out the world. The silence was deafening. She wanted to scream, to lash out, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she just lay there, alone in the darkness.