Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, glowing with a malevolent light. Professor Davies was leaving. A new opportunity, it read. Her stomach clenched. She’d spent the last two years tethered to Davies’ research, her future inextricably linked to his guidance. Now, it felt like the ground had vanished beneath her feet.

She reread the announcement, her fingers tracing the words on the screen. The office felt suddenly colder, the familiar hum of the computer a grating noise. A sigh escaped her, heavy and unwanted.

Her thesis felt like a mountain, previously scaled with Davies’s advice. Now, it was an insurmountable peak, the summit shrouded in mist. She glanced at the clock; 4:57 PM. Another long evening of staring at a blank page loomed.