Gemotions

The email notification blinked insistently in Maya’s inbox. Her fingers hovered over the mouse, a silent battle waging within her. The subject line, “Regarding the Library Incident,” was enough to make her stomach churn. She finally clicked, her pulse quickening with each passing second as the letter loaded.

Her breath became shallow as she scanned the words. A prickling sensation crawled across her skin. The air felt heavy, oppressive, as if the room had shrunk. She pushed away from her desk, the chair skidding across the wooden floor. She needed something – anything – to distract her. She reached for a glass of water, her hand trembling slightly as she filled it.