Gemotions

The phone vibrated in Emily's pocket, and she jumped. It was a picture message from her roommate, James, of a kitten. Her heart skipped a beat. The image blurred before her eyes.

She clutched the phone tightly, her knuckles white. She pictured claws scratching furniture, the smell of cat litter, the incessant meowing. Her throat constricted.

The potential for disaster, the *uncertainty* of it all, paralyzed her. The image on the screen morphed into something monstrous. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of responsibility.

She needed to get away, to distance herself from the looming reality. She put the phone down, and slowly walked to the open window.