Gemotions

He sat frozen in the lawyer’s sterile office, the crisp papers in his lap feeling heavy as lead. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. The man across from him, with his calm voice and professional demeanor, was speaking, outlining the details. Details he didn't want to hear.

The room seemed to spin, the walls blurring at the edges. His mouth felt dry, and he swallowed hard. The world felt unbalanced, like the ground was tilting beneath him. He wanted to run, to disappear.

He focused on the grains of the polished wood of the table in an attempt to ground himself. He found himself squeezing his fists into tight balls. He just needed to get out of this room.