Gemotions

The words on the screen swam before her eyes. “Inspiring Examples,” the title proclaimed, and beneath it, *her* essay. She felt a cold, hard knot form in her gut. Chloe felt a deep sense of wrongness, a sense of having had something stolen from her. The carefully chosen phrases that she had crafted now felt like a mockery.

She closed the laptop, the sound of the lid snapping shut loud in the quiet room. She got up and began to pace. Every footstep echoed. She tried to think of something to say to her roommate, but her throat felt constricted, making it difficult to swallow.

Her breath hitched. She needed to be alone, to process this alone. She headed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face. It didn't help. The image of the essay stayed with her, sharp and clear.