Gemotions

The editor’s polite words, the carefully worded criticism... They echoed in Leo’s head, a relentless soundtrack to his misery. He sat hunched over his laptop, staring at the cursor blinking on a blank screen. It mocked him.

He slammed the laptop shut with a loud thud, the action surprising him. He'd never done that before. His hands trembled. He got up and moved from the computer to the window. The world was a blur.

The walls of his small studio apartment seemed to close in, the space feeling smaller than it had ever been. He felt a strange flutter in his stomach, as if he'd just ridden a roller coaster. He wanted to run.