Gemotions

The ballroom seemed vast, the tables stretching away into a blurry distance. Amelia felt dwarfed by the surroundings. She gripped her purse so tightly her knuckles whitened. The music, a jaunty melody, grated on her nerves.

Her father, beaming and surrounded by well-wishers, caught her eye and waved. She managed a strained smile in return, but her chest felt tight, constricted. The microphone on the stage looked monstrous.

She excused herself from the conversation she was in, needing air, needing space. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the celebratory atmosphere. This was a monumental error.