Gemotions

The email arrived at 6:03 AM, just as Maya was pouring her first coffee of the day. Her fingers, usually steady, fumbled with the mouse. The subject line, from Professor Davies, hit her like a jolt of electricity. *Important Announcement Regarding My Departure.* Her breath hitched. She scrolled down, reading the words twice, then a third time, her eyes scanning the familiar phrasing of resignation. The world seemed to shrink, focusing on the screen's cold glow. She felt a prickling sensation across the back of her neck.

She reread the dates, cross-referencing them with her own thesis timeline. A knot tightened in her stomach. Outside, the city was waking, but inside, in her apartment, a quiet, almost frantic energy had taken over. She slammed her laptop shut. This couldn't be happening.