Gemotions

He stared at the email, the screen blurring. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. The subject line, “Lab Results – Urgent,” mocked him. He clicked it open, his stomach twisting into a painful knot. The HIV positive test result staring back at him was not his. He was certain. He hadn't… He’d been careful.

He jumped to his feet, pacing his small apartment. The air felt thin, unbreathable. He needed to get out, to move, to do something. He grabbed his phone and fumbled for the number of his doctor. It rang and rang, each unanswered ring amplifying his mounting panic.

The walls seemed to be closing in. Every object in the room, normally familiar and comforting, now appeared menacing, alien. He felt a deep, chilling dread creep into his bones, and a primal urge to simply disappear.