Gemotions

The plate of untouched food sat before Maya, the colorful meal seemingly tasteless. The apartment felt suffocating, and the news playing on the television seemed too loud. She'd been on the verge of breaking. The air in her small kitchen felt thick and heavy. A crisp letter, slipped under her door that morning, was the cause.

The apology, for a teenage prank that had spiraled into a deep emotional wound, struck a raw nerve. She remembered the humiliation, the feeling of isolation, the years spent trying to build a shield around her heart. Rage flared, a searing heat that burned behind her eyes. Then, the anger crumbled into ash. She felt drained, as if the energy had just been sucked out of her.