Gemotions

The scent of stale coffee clung to the air in the diner, a smell she usually found comforting. This morning, it just made her feel ill. A friend request: Jason. The bully who'd made her elementary school years a living hell. She felt the sudden urge to flee, to disappear.

She looked around at the cheerful chatter, at the warmth of the overhead lamps. It all felt fake, a manufactured façade. She felt a familiar pressure in her chest, as if a large weight was sitting on her ribcage.

The weight of it all was crushing. She considered just walking out, but where would she go? There was no escape.