Gemotions

"Ms. Davies, 5th Grade." The words on the email seemed to vibrate in her hand. Sarah's breath hitched. Ms. Davies. The teacher who’d told her mother she was "a disruptive influence." She felt her palms begin to sweat.

She went to school, trying to put on a brave face. But the room felt hostile, her own inadequacies amplified by the setting. She found herself retreating, her voice barely a whisper when she spoke. She could not breathe.

That night, she found herself staring at the ceiling, replaying every mistake. The sensation of emptiness was overwhelming. She felt like a shadow of a person.