Gemotions

The rhythmic clicking of Elias’s keyboard slowed to a halt. He leaned back in his chair, the tension in his shoulders beginning to ease. Then, the email. The subject line, “Academic Integrity Concerns,” sent a jolt of panic through him. He hadn't bothered to read the details, or even open the attached document.

He needed to get away from this. To escape. He felt a deep, unfamiliar sense of unease. He pushed the chair away from his desk and stood up. He walked to the window, watching the rain sheet across the glass. The sky was the same color as his mood.

He took a deep breath. His paper, a complex tapestry of ideas, now unraveled. The professor’s words, cold and clinical, seemed to cut through the stillness of the room. He felt utterly depleted.