Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the gentle blue of her desktop background. She blinked, the words blurring in her vision. *University to Close Due to Financial Difficulties*. She scrolled back up, read it again, then again, just in case a crucial detail had somehow escaped her. Sunlight streamed in the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air, but the scene felt oddly distant, like she was observing it through a thick pane of glass. She clicked the trash icon, then immediately undid it. The message remained, stubbornly real.

Her hands felt clammy as she pushed away from her desk, the sudden movement causing her chair to scrape harshly against the wooden floor. She needed coffee. Or maybe just… to move. She wandered through her apartment, aimlessly touching things: a framed photograph, a stack of books, the worn leather of her sofa. Each familiar object seemed alien, holding no comfort, offering no anchor.

She found herself staring out the window, at the bustling street below, the cars, the people… all going about their day. Hers, however, was suddenly… unmoored.