Gemotions

The world tilted on its axis. Sarah blinked, trying to clear the haze that had clouded her vision. Professor Chen's pronouncements bounced off her, their meaning obscured by a thick fog of disbelief. The words, "identical to another source," crashed over her like a rogue wave. She sat frozen, every muscle seizing.

Her breath came in shallow gasps. She clutched the sleeve of her sweater, pulling it over her hand and twisting the fabric. Her carefully constructed argument, the meticulous research she'd undertaken, dissolved before her eyes. The room swam, the faces of her peers blurred into a sea of judgment.