Gemotions

The courtroom felt like a mausoleum. The legal jargon, the indifferent judge, the smug face of the opposing counsel. Everything conspired to make him feel small and insignificant. He barely registered the words being spoken.

He shifted in his seat, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. His breath hitched as he waited for the verdict. His heart felt lodged in his throat, a heavy, suffocating weight.

When the judge finally spoke, the words seemed to fade, as if the sound had been muted. He felt his face grow hot as the opposing counsel smiled. He didn't know how to face the world.