Gemotions

"So, what do you have to say?" The professor’s words were sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife. Daniel remained frozen in his chair, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He felt his face flush with heat. He had failed. His mind was a blank canvas. He couldn't find the words. It all felt so hopeless.

He retreated into the quiet solace of his dorm. He shut off the outside world, not answering texts or calls. The silence was his only companion. He moved mechanically, devoid of all feeling. He'd tried to eat something, but food only sat in his throat, unable to go down.

The days blurred together, marked only by the shifting shadows in his room. He lay in bed, staring out the window, watching the slow, inexorable march of time.