Gemotions

From her vantage point in the park, Clara watched the leaves gently float to the ground. She savored the moment, the crisp air filling her lungs, the soft crunch beneath her feet as she strolled. Earlier, she'd finished a particularly difficult section of her thesis, and now she felt free, her mind as open as the sky above her.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A text message from a friend, “Did you see the announcement about Professor Davies?” Clara's good mood instantly dissolved. The vibrant colours of the fall started to look dull. The carefree stroll became a march.