Gemotions

The phone vibrated in Maya’s hand, a jarring jolt in the otherwise silent lecture hall. It was her professor. She ignored the message, but a prickling sensation crawled across her skin. The words, "Please see me after class," burned in her mind.

She fidgeted in her seat, her gaze flitting nervously around the room. The equations on the whiteboard swam before her eyes. Each tick of the clock felt amplified, each rustle of paper a deliberate whisper.

Her breath came in shallow, rapid pants. She found herself subconsciously biting her lip, leaving a raw, metallic taste in her mouth. She couldn't focus; all she could feel was a growing, gnawing anxiety.