Gemotions

Isabelle felt the familiar prickle of heat behind her eyes. Scrolling through the student publication, the words "Student Essay: Isabelle Moreau" leaped out at her. It was the essay detailing her complex feelings about moving away from home, the one she thought no one would ever see again.

She sat at her desk, unable to move, unable to breathe deeply. Her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles white. She felt a growing sense of dread, a feeling of being watched, judged.

She needed to get out of her apartment, but her legs felt like lead. She stood for a long moment, simply staring at the closed door, the only exit from her sudden confinement.