Gemotions

The email arrived like a sudden blow. “Featured Essay of the Week!” He’d spent hours, days, crafting those words, pouring his anxieties and hopes onto the page. Now, they were on display, public property. The blood drained from Michael's face.

He reread the email, each word a fresh stab. He felt a tremor in his hands as he dropped his phone. He kicked a chair, the wood connecting with a loud thud, and then regretted it immediately. He picked up the phone, still trembling, and slumped onto the couch.

He stared at the ceiling, unseeing, feeling a rising sense of claustrophobia. The world around him seemed to shrink, closing in. He needed air, space, to think. He grabbed his jacket, his movements jerky, and fled outside.