Gemotions

The phone vibrated on Maya's desk, and she flinched, as if startled. It was another notification from the online forum. Every post, every comment, added to the disquiet that had been building inside her since she discovered the accusations against her idol, the poet Iris Thorne.

Her appetite vanished. She hadn't eaten all day. She picked at the food on her plate, then pushed it away. The images from the forum continued to play in her mind. Her chest felt constricted, making it difficult to breathe. She found herself staring at the doorway, expecting someone to arrive.

She rose from her chair and walked toward the window, pulling back the curtains. The street below seemed unfamiliar, foreign. A deep sense of mistrust washed over her, chilling her to the bone.