Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the office, mirroring the turmoil in Amelia’s chest. Empty. The office of Professor Eldridge was utterly empty, the desk cleared, the walls bare save for a single, faded botanical print. No note, no email, just…gone. Amelia reached out, her fingers tracing the smooth, empty desktop. A pang of something akin to grief lanced through her. She felt like a child abandoned at a fair.

The knot in her stomach tightened as she imagined the professor, her guiding star, quietly slipping away. Without a word. Amelia found herself gathering up the discarded notes from her own desk, the ones filled with Eldridge’s meticulous annotations. She wanted to preserve them, like fragile butterflies.

Back in her own small space, Amelia began to organize the notes, filing them carefully. She pulled out a small, worn tin of Earl Grey tea, the kind he always offered. She brewed a pot, the scent a comfort against the chill. She resolved to keep the professor’s knowledge alive, sharing it with anyone who would listen.